Motifs

teacherlady · Tue Apr 20, 2010 2:22 pm

What motifs do you notice and what theme do you see these motifs leading us (the readers) toward?

haroldsucks · Tue Apr 20, 2010 7:27 pm

Observation and Eavesdropping

L2c · Tue Apr 20, 2010 10:50 pm

i kind notice that there is always a gloomy and somewhat depressing feeling in the mood of the story, kinda like a white on gray painting. i guess its like how most people say that the theme might be about the darkness in the heart of the people. though i kinda feel like its more like the author is trying to make the story more depressing and dark to match the story and give it a more powerful effect.

killax415 · Wed Apr 21, 2010 1:51 pm

Deaths theres a lot of deaths in this book. So i think death is a motif not sure what it leads the reader to know, but i know that it helps provide a theme for the book, develope a tone, and a mood.

Chuany · Wed Apr 21, 2010 5:46 pm

There's always a reoccurring thingy about the unsolved mysteries of that still lie in wait for Marlow, So i definitely feel that Mystery is a motif. Another motif would be how the author address's such death going on with a gloomy atmosphere. I guess what I'm trying to say is the manner of how the author deals with death?

Hanna · Wed Apr 21, 2010 10:33 pm

I think Dark is a motif, because the book so far has a really dark feeling to it.

aft999999999 · Thu Apr 22, 2010 12:21 am

It seems that the motifs that exist in the story live inside the mood and setting and are basically the darkness that exists in Marlow's mind as well as the environment he is in. The entire plot focuses on the conditions of the societies of that time where they had to hide in darkness which may have been ignorance or pride to feel that they were doing something right.

Oliver G. · Thu Apr 22, 2010 1:36 pm


	L2c wrote: i kind notice that there is always a gloomy and somewhat depressing feeling in the mood of the story, kinda like a white on gray painting. i guess its like how most people say that the theme might be about the darkness in the heart of the people. though i kinda feel like its more like the author is trying to make the story more depressing and dark to match the story and give it a more powerful effect.

I like your analogy and your post about your opinion on the theme of the story.

WAFFLEonFACE · Thu Apr 22, 2010 1:40 pm

I think the enlightenment of the mind is a motif that we have observed many times with Marlow. He wished as a child to the Congo not knowing what would happen. He now learned of what is the truth of the Congo and he has reached the point of no return.

juyu5 · Thu Apr 22, 2010 7:16 pm

I think some motifs is darkness, evil, and abandonment. The story is a negative one, with depressing tones.

JeLam · Fri Apr 23, 2010 12:00 am

There's always a sense of feeling lost. Marlow is a wanderer but also a sailor, so even though it may seem like he has a home, he will never be satisfied with just one place. Furthermore, Africa had not been explored yet, and judging from the vote we had the other day about who would actually travel to a place where no one has explored yet, we'd be resistant in going, partially because we're outside out comfort zone. One can't expect anything, and curiosity overwhelms Marlow with everything that's going on around him. He constantly wants to know what's happening around him and it seems to me like he can't get enough of it. However, the saying does go, "curiosity killed the cat."

-Jessica Lam, Cossick's 1°

Evan · Sun May 02, 2010 6:51 pm

Motifs? Darkness, fear, despair, compassion, lack of compassion, decay, corruption, incompetence, violence, insanity...

The only thing I wanted to note here is that most of Marlow's recurrently apparent traits are the exact opposite of what the other characters in the setting show. He shows a degree of compassion for the Natives, while almost all the other characters simply manipulate them. He came seeking curiosity and adventure, while it is unclear what exactly the other characters came to pursue. He shows no signs of being interested in material wealth, but as his description on page 126 shows, Kurtz seems to be. All in all he is continually shocked by just how horrible things turned out to be.

Evan · Sun May 02, 2010 6:58 pm

Oh, and the theme...

Though I've stated it before, I think the theme is that all humans, simply by human nature, are capable of great evil, and in times that evil has gone unchecked. It ties to World History and many of the most horrible events that have taken place, from war, to genocide, to rape. In itself this story portrays a single event, but because it ties to the darkness in all humans, it goes to further explain why such events take place. I think society's flaws can be traced to human nature...too commonly have we seen the exact same problems recreate themselves in entirely different settings, far away regions of the world. Because humans have a violent nature, because many humans find themselves prejudice and nationalistic, because humans have a natural tendency and a natural attraction to power, our world is still being torn down by the same forces that tore at it before, but because we have closer connections, better technology, and have reached a new age of capability, it is time we get into the heart of what we can do in response to human tendencies.

dadeng3 · Sun May 02, 2010 7:59 pm

Motifs would be darkness, corruption, mournful, and despair.
Marlow is constantly surrounded an environment of darkness, and hatred. His curiosity drives him to go deeper into Africa, this is somewhat like the human mind eventually leading to corruption.
-David 1st period

vichan10 · Mon May 03, 2010 12:04 am

A motif could be the reoccurring sense of feeling lost, although their river is the only source of "path" or map to follow, I feel that they never know where they're going. It could symbolize that the colonists never knew what they were getting into when they carved up Africa for their own luxurious pleasures (gold, silver, diamonds, rubber, raw goods, etc.)

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