Heart of Darkness key quotes Flashcards
Between the audience
‘the bond of the sea’
Marlow’s appearance
‘Resembled of idol’; ‘pose of the Buddha, preaching in European clothes’
Efficiency
“What saves us is efficiency - the devotion to efficiency”
“Do you see the story…”
“Do you see the story? Do you see anything?…It is like I am trying to tell you a dream”
‘showing the weakness of tellers…’
‘Showing the weakness of tellers…unaware of what their audience would like to hear’
“No, not very clear…”
“No, not very clear. And yet it seemed to throw a kind of light”
“Speaking English…”
[of the Dutch businessman] “speaking English with great precision and considerable bitterness”
Drums
“drums…perhaps with as profound a meaning as bells in a Christian country”
Embassy, of Kurtz
“the mission entrusted to us by Europe….a singleness of purpose…the gang of virtue”
Principles
“Principles won’t do…you want a deliberate belief”
“The pilgrims”
describes Marlow’s men - western domination/discourse
Neighbour…
“You can’t understand. How could you?…where no warning voice of a neighbour…”
“Pure, uncomplicated savagery…”
“Pure, uncomplicated savagery…had a right to exist - obviously - in the sunlight”
“I did not betray Mr Kurtz…”
“I did not betray Mr Kurtz…I should be loyal to the nightmare of my choice”
“Perhaps all the wisdom…”
“Perhaps all the wisdom, and the truth…are just compressed into the moment we step over the threshold of the invisible”
