Final Paper Proposal - Outline and Annotated Bibliography
here is a in class essay but i would like you to read this short story and answer two question first , then write the essay for me before the class
first question
read part one and write a a brief paragraph detailing how you see Conrad depicting these things
second question
finish an outpost of progress and write a brief paragraph detailing who or what you feel Conrad holds responsible for the failure of Kayerts and Carlier.
essay
The perception many of us hold of Africa was shaped by the picture of it painted by European
authors whose stature lent credibility to a public predisposed to the inferiority of Africa by the
justification of the slave trade. A major theme in Conrad’s “An Outpost of Progress” is how a “civilized” person can quickly see his veneer of “civilization” stripped when confronted by the “darkness.” Likewise, In “The White Man’s Burden,” Rudyard Kipling shows how European “civilization” is obligated to shine its light on the “uncivilized,” “half-demon and half-child” as he refers to them. It could be argued that these views of Africa permeate the opinion of the West even today. In your essay, I would like you to look at how the pictures painted in these two works can be seen in how Africa is represented in the modern media. Find three sources which rely on or echo the images painted by Kipling and Conrad in their depiction of Africa and African people and tie them to specific words or ideas found in Kipling and/or Conrad. You can look to films, plays, fiction, journalism, and/or advertisements for your modern sources-I am sure you have encountered enough works like these to support your paper. You may bring inn notes on your examples to refer to as you write the essay.
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Question 2:
Finish an outpost of progress and write a brief paragraph detailing who and what you feel Conrad holds responsible for the failure of Kayerts and Carlier
And, irreverently, he was putting out a swollen tongue at his managing director. He seemed to have died a painful death hanging from the cross. The director felt that the society had failed Kayert and Carlier for expecting a lot from them while they clearly stood no chance in wild Africa. How could they send people who had very slim chances of survival in the unforgiving jungle? They never had a chance anyway. Concluded the director as he stepped into the house to see if they had made any successful trade. Finding the ivory, the director concluded that the two men could have possibly had an argument over their share of ivory which eventually led Kayerts killing Carlier and him committing suicide because of guilt. Their greed and conscience had led to their death.
Question 1
How Conrad depicts Africa and Colonialist Europeans
Conrad is depicting the European culture as more civilized and superior to the African culture. He points out that the Europeans refer to the native Africans as savages. ‘just sit still and gather in the ivory those savages will bring.’ the Europeans are looking at African people and their culture through the eyes of their culture. They want to bring civilization to the ‘dark continent’ because it is largely
He also depicts the Europeans as the exporters of civilization. He depicts Europeans as the people who have tasked themselves with ‘civilizing’ the world and setting up the kind of civilized things which were present in Europe. They also take credit for civilizing other places in the world. Their pride is drawn from knowing that future generations will celebrate their efforts in Africa and achievements. ‘in a hundred years, there will be perhaps a town here. Quays, and warehouses, and barracks, and--and--billiard-rooms. Civilization, my boy, and virtue--and all. And then, chaps will read that two good fellows, Kayerts and Carlier, were the first civilized men to live in this very spot!’
Conrad also depicts Kayerts and Carlier attitude towards the African language. They despised the African language and did not have an interest in understanding it. Though it is very likely Africans could not understand European languages, they never found them to be ‘gibberish.’ Carlier commented ‘in the first moment i fancied the fellow was going to speak French. Anyway, it is a different kind of gibberish to what we ever heard.’ the expectations of the Europeans was for them to be able to learn and speak European languages as they got ‘civilized.’ they overlooked the fact that language is just but a tool to convey a message and if the speakers understand each other, it is as good as any other language. The European however rather than learning the language of the locals, they instead wanted Africans to learn their language and that is the reason they despised the African languages.
Conrad also depicts the disdain held by the Africans against the Europeans. They despise them and they are also ‘racist.’ Africans are also intolerant of those who are different from them. Conrads depicts that the Europeans and the Africans all see each other through their weaknesses and form their opinions about them from such. Conrad notes that’ Makola, taciturn and impenetrable, despised the two white men.’ he had never seen them but when he met Kayerts and Carlier he outrightly despised them. Makola also discriminated the white men by the color of their skin. ‘you very red, Mr. Kayerts. If you are so irritable in the sun, you will get a fever and die--like the first chief!" pronounced Makola impressively’ Conrad shows that not only did Europeans look down on Africans, but also the Africans were guilty of the same bigotry.
The West’s perception of Africa as shown by the media
The perception of Africa in the west is still that of ‘undeveloped and dark’ continent that need the west to thrive. The media has also continually depicted Africa and uncivilized and undeveloped. The media partly paints this picture because it is the ‘accepted’ definition of Africa and it is what ‘sells’ to its audience. Since the media is in the business of increasing consumption of its content, they always and continually depict Africa through the lens of the public rather than changing the narrative. One of the channels where they perpetrate this narrative is through the film industry which has millions of consumers in the west. The set the plot to market the continent as inhabited by uncivilized people and their way of life as savagery.
‘The gods must be crazy’ is a film directed by Jamie Uys. The film plot is set in Af...