Heart of Darkness, Apocalypse Now, and Hollow Men

1383 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Importances of western culture

Façade of Civilization Exposed in Heart of Darkness, Apocalypse Now, and Hollow Men

"Civilization", like "democracy" is something of a loaded term. For democracy there is a straightforward definition; a democracy is a society where the members of that society vote for their political leaders. "Democracy" can also refer to a set of social attitudes that individuals can possess. For instance, a snob possesses attitudes that can be described as "undemocratic" regardless of his or her participation in the political process of his or her own society. The term civilization literally means a society which has reached a high level of organization and development, which can be characterized by highly specified division of labor, monumental architecture, a redistributive economy, and a highly developed degree of literacy, among other things. The term "civilization" also refers to a set of attitudes and behavior that Western society has adopted as being consonant with the literal definition of civilization. A "civilized" individual is one who is well-educated, moral, virtuous, humanitarian, and possesses a degree of innate "nobility." In today's world these terms, and therefore the term "civilization", are understood throughout the world according to their European definitions, and therefore they are, to a certain degree, ethno-centric. This is because of the predominant role European civilization has played in shaping world civilization. With the exception of Japan, every place on earth has been occupied and administered by a European power for a significant period of time during the last five hundred years. Today the world's understanding of how nations should govern themselves is with constitutions patterned after European models, w...

... middle of paper ...

...ion", and that sense of loss is "the horror." For them the Apocalypse, the end of civilization had come, and when Kurtz meets his mortal end, it's not with a bang but a whimper.

Western Civilization has risen to produce what are arguably some of the highest, most virtuous ideals of mankind. The message that The Hollow Men and Apocalypse Now give is that in Western Civilization's quest for self-aggrandizement, those ideals get lost. What is left is but the empty façade, the hollow men, and in the hearts and minds of the hollow men, the apocalypse descends and "civilization" ends not with a bang but a whimper.

Works Cited:

Conrad, James. Heart of Darkness and Other Tales. Great Britain,

BPC paperbacks ltd. 1990.

Eliot, Thomas Stearns. “The Hollow Men.” The Complete Poems and Plays: 1909-1950.

New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, 1971.

Show More
Related

  • Grendel's Last Words Analysis

    257 Words  | 1 Pages

    It bears mentioning that Grendel was strongly influenced by the idea of nihilism, which means that he believed that nothing has meaning and everything in life was an accident. “Nevertheless, it was

    Read More

  • Is Grendel Evil?

    2263 Words  | 5 Pages

    Grendel is born a neutral being, perhaps even good, but nevertheless, without hate. The transition which he undergoes to become evil is due to misunderstandings between himself and humans and also meeting with a dragon who is questionably evil. As a young “monster”, Grendel knew nothing other than the cave he lived in and his mother who could not speak any distinguishable language. He was a playful creature who seemed to be like a “bla...

    Read More

  • Go Tell It On The Mountain

    1010 Words  | 3 Pages

    He then heard the voice of Elisha, telling him to come through. He heard the singing of the congregation. Elisha said, “Rise up, rise up, Brother Johnny, and talk about the Lord’s deliverance” John has been saved and exaltedly claimed, “Lord, I been introduced to the Father, and the Son, and I ain’t no stranger now!”

    Read More

  • Comparing Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now

    818 Words  | 2 Pages

    Comparing Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now Heart of Darkness, written by Joseph Conrad, and "Apocalypse Now," a movie directed by Francis Coppola, are two works that parallel one another but at the same time reflect their own era in time and their creator's own personal feelings and prejudices. "Apocalypse Now" was released in 1979 after two years in the making, as Coppola's modern interpretation to Joseph Conrad's novel, Heart of Darkness (Harris). Conrad's book is an excellent example of the advances writers and philosophers made in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This advance deals with civilized humanity's ability to be prepared for and know the unknown. (Johnson) Comparatively, Copolla's movie did the same in the late 1970's.

    Read More

  • The Mystery of Kurtz in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness

    386 Words  | 1 Pages

    In dealing with Kurtz many questions became visible for an example towards the end of the book what did he mean by “the horror, the horror!” was he referring to what he witnessed and experienced while he was in command of his ivory station or was he talking about the civilization of Europe and how he did not wish to return? Perhaps he saw Europe as being his darkness and the Congo being his light or vice versa.

    Read More

  • Heart Of Darkness Analysis

    978 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...arkness is coming to an end, Kurtz and Marlow are heading back to civilization in England from the Congo. Kurtz is in rough shape. He is mentally and physically exhausted, slowly dying on the boat. Once it is understood that he is going to die, he cries out “The horror! The horror!” The horror that Kurtz is referring to is everything that he has witnessed and done with his life while he was in the Congo. These two words repeated sum up his experiences that we see from Marlow’s perspective. Kurtz’s demise was a product of everything that he had done in the Congo with the company. In the end, all of his hard work was not even worth it. He died and left all of his fortune in the Congo, where he had no one to leave it all to. Kurtz’s reflections on the way he lived his life are essentially all being brought back to him in his final moments as he yells out “the horror!”

    Read More

  • Hrm/531 Week 1 Assignment

    1322 Words  | 3 Pages

    I set goals for myself all the time in many different aspects of my life. This experience was different because I don’t always take the time to write out goals. Taking this extra step allows you to plan for success despite barriers that may arise due to your environment or social systems. As a social worker I will be better equipped to empower others in goal setting and planning after going through the planning myself. Being aware of how social systems and the environment affect goal setting will allow me the ability to view client’s situations through an ecological lens, while empowering them in the goal setting and planning

    Read More

  • The Evil Within

    1151 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...erstanding of why things are happening the way sees them is due to the lack of communication from the humans, the lack of acceptance from the humans, and his very own ignorance. The three elements have taken him on a journey that leads to his death. Grendel saw past the religious aspect of the story and tried to clear his name from the records because he wanted to be accepted. In Grendel’s mind, the humans and himself have a lot in common.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness

    859 Words  | 2 Pages

    On Kurtz’s deathbed, he was prepared to leave the darkness of his life behind. He judged his selfish, greedy, and heartless past which caused his words, “The horror!

    Read More

  • Personal Essay: My Experience With Goal Making

    843 Words  | 2 Pages

    My experience with goal making has always been a rough affair. The goals were not a source of motivation or inspiration for me. Instead the goals were a one-time action and were never to be found again once written down. It is not that I did not want to succeed in my goals or get the satisfaction of completing my goals, it is simply that my goals did not fit my specific needs and were not easy to follow. It is only now that I realize my goals were far from specific and measurable, realistic and challenging, and within a timeframe. Within this framework for goals my goals can become more inspirational to me and become a part of my life rather than a passing event in my life.

    Read More

  • Comparing Apocalypse Now and Heart of Darkness

    708 Words  | 2 Pages

    Francis Coppola’s movie Apocalypse Now was inspired by the world famous Joseph Conrad novel Heart of Darkness. A comparison and contrast can be made between the two. Both have similar themes but entirely different settings. Heart of Darkness takes place on the Congo River in the Heart of Africa, while Apocalypse Now is set in Vietnam.

    Read More

  • Scholarship Essay

    679 Words  | 2 Pages

    Creating and achieving goals are some important things that people want to do in their lives and learn to accomplish or achieve them. The goals can be small, big, long, short, simple, complicated, hard, objective, career, life, educational, professional and it can be for anything such as health, job, work, you, the people that are around you, friends, family, the world, history, culture and advocacy. In order to accomplish or achieve these goals, you need to have a lot of time, effort, proficiency, patience and perseverance. Goals are the ones to be proud of because we are accomplishing them every day you just do not realize it.

    Read More

  • How To Be Successful Essay: The Definition Of Success

    1710 Words  | 4 Pages

    In setting a goal, you set up a grand goal and then you break it down into smaller goals. This helps you to further monitor your progress on a smaller scale and helps you stay motivated and focused because each time you achieve one of the smaller goals, it keeps you inspired to achieve the grand goal. Set goals that are definite with a well-known target to achieve, always giving yourself a specific time-stamped to achieve your goals. However, ensure that your goals and time lines set are realistic otherwise you will end frustrated chasing castles in the

    Read More

  • Contributions of Ancient Civilizations

    827 Words  | 2 Pages

    For thousands of years, people all over the world have developed, progressed, and eventually formed civilizations. A civilization is a community characterized by elements such as a system of writing, a development of social classes, and cities. Early civilizations such as ancient Greece, classical Rome, Mesopotamia, and classical China have made many contributions to society that still affect people in the modern world. The inventions, progress, and contributions of the people of these ancient civilizations and others have shaped the world that we all live in today.

    Read More

  • Interpreting 'The Horror' in Heart of Darkness

    339 Words  | 1 Pages

    In Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Kurtz's final words as he lay dying are, "The horror! The horror!" (pp. 1415) Some interpret these final words as the horror of one culture decimating another in the name of religion, civilization or greed. Others may believe that Kurtz had at that moment fully recognized what he had become, "the expression of sombre pride, of ruthless power, or craven terror..." (pp. 1415)

    Read More

More about Heart of Darkness, Apocalypse Now, and Hollow Men

Open Document