The Metaphor or Connotation of the River - Book Report/Review Example

? MID SECTION TEXTUAL ANALYSIS (d) The term “Heart of Darkness” or the of the novel has several implications. Dual meaning interplays aroundthe connotation provided by Joseph Conrad for his insightful and ominous novel. Literally, the title signifies the dark continent of Africa denoted by Congo in the novel. However, at the metaphorical level, the title signifies the experiences encountered by Marlow at the interior region of the continent denoted by the name Congo in the novel. At the outset of the novel, the events initiating the plot and the concluding events of the plot do take place outside Congo, but the climax and the most potent along with major events of the novel do take place at the interior region or ‘heart’ of the dark continent known by the name of Congo. The river Congo, its dark basin and the savages who live in the heart of the Dark Continent do play an important role in the development of the plot of the novel supporting the title and making it compatible with the theme of the novel as well. Moreover, the picturesque narrative of the novel gives a vivid description of the wildlife within the dense impenetrable jungle from the perspective of a white man or a man from civilization and his trajectory into the wild and dark land. This facet bestows Marlow an apparition that sailing into the land of darkness gives him a feeling that he is sailing back to the beginning of civilization. It also stands well for the name of the novel, “Heart of Darkness”. The imperative horror, the impending mystery and the foreboding captivated throughout the atmosphere of the novel suggest the appropriateness of the name and justifies its significance as, “Heart of Darkness” (Conrad 1-131). Also, metaphorically the title has other dimensions as well. The evil or the seat of evil within a man is essentially related to his heart literally. Consequently, the novel, “Heart of Darkness” presents a story where within a heart of a man lays the dark instincts and pursuits of ambitions which have the power to eclipse the brighter side of the world. Thus, in this respect as well the title of the novel is befitting and very much symbolic in nature. (g) Education is a mirror to a brighter world. Any sort of educations sublimes the mind and breaks the shackles of ignorance for a better living and a better world. Nonetheless, colonial education, as many of the colonial texts envisages, was a matrix upon which the education for subjugation, a way for creating a paradigm of exploitation and a construction for the realm of mental confusion where the development for the underdevelopment of the colonized are being prepared. In Mongo Beti’s ‘‘Mission to Kala”, one can find that the education of Medza makes him a privileged entity in the political and economic functionary and system within the colonial set up which is manifesting to curb the voice of his own people to mobilize against the colonial empire. Therefore, in simple words, it can be summed up that colonial education in Africa as being symbolized in the text “Mission to Kala”, indicates a development of an elite black who is successful in carrying forth the colonial agenda of politics and economy in the era of post-independence as well. The education in colonial Africa serves as a metaphor of creating educated black elites and military dictators in the post-independence era. Moreover, the colonial education in Africa created a class which actually alienated them from the society where they were living and growing over the years. Medza’s ideal is America and he is not able to take any kind of decision when it comes to any problem to cope up in his society. Neither does he have any vision about African society or culture. Colonial education in Africa did produce good students who were able to serve imperial regime. However, they were being dissipated from their roots, people and culture owing to being incapable to comprehend or serve their own nation or society at all (Nnolim 1-125). (h) The pseudo hero of the novel, “Mission to Kala” returns back at home from his academic failure in the last exam and is unsuccessful in the hard core western system of education and revives in his town as the hero where his ideas are being complimented by the older people of the village. A hard-core generation gap or conflict between the generations is not being noticed in the novel, “Mission to Kala”. On the contrary, the relatives and the neighbors of Medza give him respect because he is an educated man and has come back from the city. The novel, “Mission to Kala” presents a conflict operating at a different paradigm very unique and seminal of colonial texts but Mongo Beti surpasses all the limits in display of village life where the new trends in western education and the values evoking out of the western culture and education come into full force through a contrast display between life in city with conflict to life in villages. Through the remarkable arty of storytelling and craftsmanship, Mongo Beti is able to tell a story of a village where people and its society are completely unexposed to a white man. Moreover, through the inception of the educated elite in the character of Medza Mongo Beti, the conflict operating within a man who has been uprooted from his village life has been shown. In addition, within his own-self operates a conflict where he is unable to understand the problems inherent within his society and take decisions accordingly. The conflict presented in the novel, “Mission to Kala” is far more subtle and intricately woven with the human psyche which makes the novel appear more intently as a piece of colonial saga wherein conflicts are arising within the domain of post-independence societies across the colonies in Africa (Arnold 107). SECTION 2: SYNTHETIC ANALYSIS The post-colonial text, “Mission to Kala” and “Heart of Darkness” both captivate within their center of operation a metaphor and a web of symbols intricately woven throughout the text. In both the texts, the position and the significance of the river are vital and metaphorical operating at the same plane for a greater implication or intention. The potent theme of the novel, “Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad is the age old battle of civilization versus savagery and the inherent darkness in man. The river Congo shares an important symbol within the text bearing multitudes of meaning along. Within the text, the river Congo has been described as a snake. Snakes, according to biblical myths stand for evil and temptation. The river sets the trajectory for Marlow and other Europeans into the heart of the continent driven by the temptation which had stored many miseries for them over there. Marlow’s trajectory and struggle in the novel are directly proportional to his journey through the river Congo. When Marlow sails upstream, he sails towards Kurtz. He comprehends and his struggle stands for the situation where he has found himself. When Kurtz sails downstream, contrarily the situation reflects his encounters with Kurtz which signifies or culminates into his, “choice of nightmares” (Tracy Unified School District 1-17). In the novel, “Mission to Kala”, the river plays the paradoxical role as compared to the symbol of the river operating within the text, “Heart of Darkness”. The fiction by Mongo Beti is set against the fictional town of French colony in West Africa. A threshold to the cultural imperialism and its criticism in colonial Africa, the river in Mission to Kala sets a trajectory along the river where protagonist and the narrator of the novel, Marie Medza provides an account of the savagery prevailing within the bushman community of Kala. The river here mirrors a vista to the situation prevailing within the African community at the fictional village of Kala and Vimili. The trajectory through the river sets a paradigm to mock at the myriad colonial enterprise taking place in and around the area of Kala and Vimili in particular. A comparative study of the metaphor or connotation of the river used within the text, “Mission to Kala” and “Heart of Darkness” launches into the realm where the conventional notion of savagery and civilization gets confused at a greater length. The intrusion of the whites into the land of the blacks and tryst to take control of their life and culture is a subtle as well as measured political power-center discourse which is upheld potently within these texts. Potently in the text, “Mission to Kala”, the subtle politics inherent within the paradigm of cultural imperialism also surface out strikingly. The effect of western education into colonial Africa, its purpose and motif and the way it gets manifested to civilize the colonized into the education of good slaves looms large within the text, “Mission to Kala”. Furthermore, the conflict within an educated man who has actually failed academically but is hailed as a man from the west with education and revered lot in his village appears in the text which has a lot of similar metaphorical connection with the text, “Heart of Darkness” and operates symbolically within both the post colonial texts very intricately. The crux of the post-colonial text hints at the cultural imperialism operational within the colonies of European countries in Africa, which gets manifested through the symbols and metaphors largely operating through the texts such as “Mission to Kala” and “Heart of Darkness” (Makward, Ravell-Pinto, and Songolo 167). Works Cited Arnold, Stephen H. Critical Perspectives on Mongo Beti. Colorado: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1998. Print. Conrad, Joseph. “Heart of Darkness.” American University of Beirut (2008): 1-131. Print. Makward, Edris, Thelma Ravell-Pinto, and Aliko Songolo. The Growth of African Literature: Twenty-five Years After Dakar and Fourah Bay. New Jersey: Africa World Press, 1998. Print. Nnolim, Charles E. Approaches to the African Novel: Essays in Analysis. Lagos: African Books Collective, 2010. Print. Tracy Unified School District. “Heart of Darkness: Themes and Symbols.” Civilization vs. Savagery (n.d.): 1-17. Print. Read More