Unraveling Joseph Conrad's Racist Ideology in Heart of Darkness
Issue:
Volume 7, Issue 2, June 2022
Pages:
53-56
Received:
13 February 2022
Accepted:
8 April 2022
Published:
25 April 2022
DOI:
10.11648/j.ellc.20220702.11
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Abstract: Joseph Conrad is a Polish-born English novelist and prose stylist who portrays the nature of evil, depth of human soul, his pessimistic approach in struggle and highlights the life of a modern man with isolation, chaos and moral decadence in his novel Heart of Darkness. This research paper sheds light on Joseph Conrad as racist who presents Europeans as heroes by hiding their villainous conduct through manipulative language, use of ambivalence and ambiguity which reveal his Eurocentric tendencies and cold heartedness against black Africans in Heart of Darkness. Moreover, this research also demonstrates that although Conrad exposes white men's insincerity, violence, economic motivation and deterioration of their moral values but at the same time, he projects Africans' image as innocent victims and stereotypes who are the accepters of unjust status quo rather resisters which reveals Conrad’s ambivalence. Furthermore, the paper also explores that the glorified illusion of civilization and development of Africa upheld by white supremacists, in utter contrast takes the shape of contemptuous acts of loot, inhumanity and violence. Heart of Darkness is the story of human pitfalls and a disclosure of Europeans’ exploitation, lust, and falseness of their ideals. Conrad reinforces Darwin's theory of “Survival of the fittest” through the depiction of Europeans substantiating racism and imperialism as justified phenomenon in Africa. After discovering Conrad's Racist tendencies, the paper also provides a struggle to bring change in the mentality of people through giving awareness on gender equality by confronting racist slurs based on skin color and opposing superiority and inferiority complexes by considering it as a mere absurdity mental phenomenon to judge human beings. It condemns Conrad's institutionalized prejudices against women and especially blacks. This, the paper comprises of an analytical approach towards Joseph Conrad’s racist ideology in Heart of darkness.
Abstract: Joseph Conrad is a Polish-born English novelist and prose stylist who portrays the nature of evil, depth of human soul, his pessimistic approach in struggle and highlights the life of a modern man with isolation, chaos and moral decadence in his novel Heart of Darkness. This research paper sheds light on Joseph Conrad as racist who presents Europea...
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Tragedy and African Cosmic Reality: Readings in Wole Soyinka’s Death and The Kings Horseman and Esiaba Irobi’s The Fronded Circle
Princewill Chukwuma Abakporo
Issue:
Volume 7, Issue 2, June 2022
Pages:
57-61
Received:
22 February 2022
Accepted:
23 March 2022
Published:
25 April 2022
DOI:
10.11648/j.ellc.20220702.12
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Abstract: It is understandable why critics like Ruth Finnegan would not see drama or theatre in the make-up of Africa due to their approach to judging African theatricality from Aristotelian templates. Africa is a unique race. Their understanding of the world and their place in it forms the bedrock on which they live and relate with both themselves and their environment. Activities of both social and sacred nature are tightly linked to survival and balance in the cosmic realms. It is on this concept that Africa upholds communalistic living against the individualistic lifestyle of the West. This paper adopted the content analysis approach to reading the concept of African tragedy in the face of Afro-cosmic realities for authors like Finnegan who saw Africa as a barbaric race devoid of theatricality. It is observed that African tragedy goes beyond the fall from grace to grass, the predetermined nature of man’s existence, and the death of the individual. Although it recognizes these concepts in part, it treats them in the light of their implications for cosmic harmony and balance as typified in Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman and Esiaba Irobi’s The Fronded Circle. It concluded that any act of man that alters or attempts to alter the cyclic movement and relationship between the worlds of the living, the dead, and the unborn is tragic within the Afro-cosmic space and spells doom to survival of the erring world, not just to the individual. It is in the actions of this magnitude that African tragedy is located.
Abstract: It is understandable why critics like Ruth Finnegan would not see drama or theatre in the make-up of Africa due to their approach to judging African theatricality from Aristotelian templates. Africa is a unique race. Their understanding of the world and their place in it forms the bedrock on which they live and relate with both themselves and their...
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The Function of Phatic Communication in the English Language
Issue:
Volume 7, Issue 2, June 2022
Pages:
62-65
Received:
25 October 2021
Accepted:
15 November 2021
Published:
27 June 2022
DOI:
10.11648/j.ellc.20220702.13
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Abstract: This paper considers the social function of phatic communication in English. Phatic communication does not inform; it strengthens social bonds and ensures that the channel of communication is open. In other words, phatic communication is concerned with the process of communication not the content of communication. The following question is explored: What are the communicative situations that the phenomenon of phatic communication can function properly in? Thus, the paper aims at identifying the function of phatic communication along with some contextual elements influencing it. To achieve the above aim, it is hypothesized that phatic communication is intended to establish ties of union among interlocutors rather than seeking information. In order to achieve the aim of the study and examine its hypothesis, the following procedures are adopted: 1) Conducting a theoretical account of phatic communication in English along with its function from different perspectives, and 2) Investigating the relationship between phatic communication and politeness according to the literature written. Then, it is inferred that phatic communication is a type of communication that has a social function rather than informative function. It is generally used to serve social functions like establishing and maintaining a friendly and harmonious atmosphere between interlocutors. Phatic communication is a social lubricant that does not convey information, but it only keeps communication lines open.
Abstract: This paper considers the social function of phatic communication in English. Phatic communication does not inform; it strengthens social bonds and ensures that the channel of communication is open. In other words, phatic communication is concerned with the process of communication not the content of communication. The following question is explored...
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