Friday, April 3, 2009
NWJ # 2
The whole book was based on illusion and everything not being what it physically was but rather what it represented. The ship is a mere representation of the "journey" of life. Everything that happens to Marlow, happens due to the transportation of the boat. Without it there would be no story to tell, or in other words no "journey of life". "What greatness had not floated on the ebb of that river into the mystery of an unknown earth?... The dreams of men, the seed of commonwealths, the germs of empires"(5). The boat or all boats represent the life vessel that takes its passengers down the river of life that they choose. Once the path is chosen the boat is final link in the destination. The river itself is a several things combines into one. It represents safety and danger at the dame time. It gives the illusion of opportunity that is reach away and at the same if is a trap that does not let go until it has engulfed its occupants and transformed them into wild people. The river has the illusion of being a live being with a will of its own.
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The boat and river do give a good example of life, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteOne thing that comes to mind is that, what would be the representation of the many stops the boat comes to? Perhaps all the hard decisions in life, where we strayed from our paths and got distracted from what we are meant to do?
Nick, I thought your insight on this was very good. I did not look at it that way until you brought it up. and as AJ wrote about the destinations in life represent the decisions we make for better or worse are a beautiful analogy!
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Interesting focus on the boat as a symbol. It would be interesting to compare the symbolic roles of each of the boats mentioned in the story, and the ones Marlow alludes to as part of his former jobs. Also, in the larger sense, HoD is only one of a few stories that Conrad tells that relate to the sea.
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