Group Difficulties HOD

Why does a sailor tell Marlow to "try to be civil" on page 106? I understand that the interruption is to draw attention to the fact that Conrad is behind two narrators, but in the context of the conversation I don't think anything Marlow says is particularly vulgar especially when compared to the other things he has said earlier in the book.

Heart of Darkness Quote

"For there is nothing mysterious to the seaman unless it be the sea itself, which is the mistress of his existence and as inscrutable as Destiny" (68).
I found this quote to be quite interesting. It is very ironic that the sailors, who spend much time around the sea, see the sea as the one true mystery. The author also shows how familiar things can still be mysterious, with his comparison of destiny. Everyone is familiar with the idea of destiny, but who really understands it completely. All the different faiths still leave questions unanswered. Also the reference to the sea being the "mistress" of  a sailor's existence is quite apt. For sailor's spend months out on the waters gazing out upon the sea. This paradox of familiarity juxtaposed with the unknown is very interesting and well-written. It is safe to assume we will be presented with many more paradoxes and perhaps different settings for the one above.

The Very Tardy Chapter One Analysis Post

      This chapter is primarily focused on the early life of Lord Stanley and also the motives for early European imperialism. The start of the chapter focuses on Lord Stanley's upbringing and establishes Hochschild's pattern of psychohistory, which we see much of in the later book. Hochschild notes that Lord Stanley was a bastard by the name of John Rowlands. He went from family to family until finally he ended up in a workhouse. It was here that he developed the fear of intimacy that would follow him for the duration of his life.
      When Stanley grew up he traveled and gained experience on boats. After briefly being involved in the American Civil War he become a foreign correspondent for The New York Herald. Afterwards he became an African explorer. A common theme in Stanley's life is lies. Time and time again he fabricated events to make himself appear more heroic than he actually was. In all of his books there are preposterous exaggerations, even of his early childhood. He claimed he escaped from the workhouse by leading a revolt, but there is no record of such events. Clearly something in Stanley yearned to be remembered in a positive light and it can most likely be traced to his childhood where time and time again he was abandoned and most likely told he was worth nothing.
     The next section of the chapter talks about the drive for imperialism. Hochschild talks about a few specific factors that led to imperialism and the justifications used. A huge factor for imperialism was the hope of raw materials, to feed the growing industrial empires of Europe. To justify this Europeans used Christianity, claims of bringing civilization and claims that they were fighting off Arab slave traders.
      The final section details Stanley's 1871 trip to Africa. Stanley took 190 people into Africa and after 8 months found Dr. Livingstone. During his trip he overworked many of his men horrifically and laid the foundation for future expeditions.

Discussion Questions
1. Why does Hochschild use the psychohistory format? Do only messed-up people commit horrendous crimes? Does early childhood trauma explain the actions of villains?
2. Stanley called Africa "unpeopled country" what led him and other Europeans to reach this conclusion?
3.Why did Stanley lie so much about his accomplishments?
4. How do you think Stanley's earlier experiences in America, the workhouse and as a correspondent helped him to become an African explorer of great esteem at the time?
5. Why did people revere Stanley at the Time?

Quiz Questions
1. What is the significance of the title "I shall not give up the chase"?
2. Name two or more justifications for imperialism during this time frame.
3. Why did Stanley have a fear of intimacy?
4. What was the purpose of Stanley's first expedition into Africa?
5. How did Stanley get ahead of his competition?

Psychohistory (KLG)

      It is not surprising that King Leopold was an insane megalomaniac. In order to oversee the atrocities that he did and not bat an eye, it takes a truly twisted and damaged person. The thing that is really terrifying is the ordinary people who went to Africa and commit these terrible acts. It really is similar in its own way to the Stanford Prison Experiment. Reading about ordinary people made me think, would I have been able to be different and protest the atrocities in Africa had I been sent there. The answer to that question lies in education. The purpose, I believe, of an education is to teach people to think for themselves. If I have learned enough in school about my personal humanitarian beliefs and have learned to defend those beliefs than I have received a proper education and I will not engage in actions that conflict with my morals.
Another interesting topic that came to mind when faced with this question is how much of what our government does today would we be not okay with when it was out in the open? We generally like to believe the best in our government because the actions happening are so far away from us actually making the decisions or seeing the people affected by the decisions. I believe something similar happened with the Belgian people. When faced with a horrifying truth that was so far away, it was easier to believe in the stuff right in front of them in Belgium.