Question #4, page 1018

I think that Kuper is the most sympathetic toward Gregor because he not only characterizes Gregor as a helpless and scared creature, but he also emphasizes the father's cruel attitude, Grete's concern, and his mother's worries very vividly. Although Kafka's words and descriptions are very beautifully constructed, his ideas are much easier to understand through Kuper's visuals. On page 1003, Kuper illustrates Gregor's struggle to talk to his parents through his bedroom door. Kuper's illustrations depict Gregor in a great struggle and really convince the reader of his hardships in attempting to get up or even speak to his family. Kuper's depiction of Gregor's wiggling legs and frustrated facial expressions show how desperate he truly is, and ultimately proves that Kuper is, indeed, the most sympathetic toward Gregor.

Question #1, page 1014

I think that Kuper's illustrations are both humorous and frightening. They are so overly exaggerated that they completely aid in understanding the humor and almost unreal aspect of the situation, yet they also manage to capture each person's reaction very accurately. This definitely confirms my interpretation of The Metamorphosis and I think that anyone who is reading it should also take a glance at the illustrations for visual help. I think that Kuper chose to illustrate this all in black and white rather than in color to capture the nitty-gritty feel of the whole story as well as set the reader in an older time frame.

In Class Discussion

I personally loved our in class discussions on Monday. Although it is usually very helpful and informative when the teacher is solely addressing and lecturing the class, I really enjoyed this type of discussion. I think that it allowed many people to explore what they truly thought about the novel and also allowed me to consider new ideas about Metamorphosis. I think that these kind of active discussions are extremely helpful in understanding the material in an in depth analysis, but I feel as though they can only succeed if the class knows a good portion of the material as well. If this type of discussion were to be introduced when we first started the novel, I don't think that the level of involvement and understanding would even compare to that on Monday. Overall, I can't wait to continue our discussions on Metamorphosis and hope that this type of learning can be used later in the novel as well.

Introductory Paragraph

Conrad's Heart of Darkness proves how societal standards and norms shelter the ones who live in it. From Marlow's journey to meet and save the idealized Kurtz to his slow transformation to using his subconscious both reveal the effects that the untamed Congo has on him. Conrad utilizes symbols such as the river to represent Marlow's upward struggle to reach Kurtz and to inevitably find his own personal heart of darkness. The significance of Marlow's intense curiosity towards the Congo, and further Kurtz, is that he deeply desires the darkness since he does not ever experience that side of life in his uptight society in Brussles, Belgium; thus critics such as Frederick Karl aid in uncovering Marlow's twisted and disconnected journey towards his true heart of darkness.

Heart of Darkness Worksheet Blog

Although Marlow's society in Brussles sets a standard of living and way of life for its citizens, his strenuous trip to the Congo has altered his perception of what is important in life. Having just arrived from a place where there are no rules, law, or police to regulate behavior, Marlow's return to his organized life style comes as a shock to him. He finds everything to be pointless and purposeless. Everything he once knew has now been tainted by his traumatic experiences in the untamed jungle and he will, therefore, never appreciate or respect the way of life that our society has established.

Essay Idea

My essay idea for Heart of Darkness deals with Marlow's psychological journey into his subconscious. I plan to utilize symbols such as the river and the jungle to further reveal his hypnosis and ultimate obsession of Kurtz. Like Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby who puts Gatsby on a pedestal, Marlow also idealizes Kurtz to the point where he sees no flaws or mistakes made by Kurtz. I want to use all of these aspects of Conrad's Heart of Darkness to fully capture Marlow's inability to control his subconscious when put into such a foreign, chaotic, and wild land.

Marlow's Psychological Journey

Although Marlow is physically taking a journey through the Congo to reach its hear of darkness, his mind and unconscious are undergoing much more than his physical being. As he gets closer to the heart of darkness, Marlow's thought process and ability to complete his assignment are put in jeopardy. His choppy and lengthy sentences show how the jungle and untamed society is affecting his unconscious, so he is therefore experiencing more of a psychological journey than a physical journey. If the opportunity were presented to me, I would probably go on this journey because of its adventure and mystery.