Exposing the Darkness of Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness :: Heart Darkness essays

Revealing Lies in Heart of Darkness A lie is an untruth. It can be a false statement or a statement left unsaid that causes someone to be misled. In life, lies are told for many different reasons. In fiction, they thicken the plot. In Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Marlow dislikes lies and therefore only tells two, both in extraordinary circumstances. The lies that Marlow tells show several things about him. For example, even though he has been touched by evil, he is still a good man. He never actually tells a lie, instead he lets others continue to believe what they already believe. This helps him justify his lies. Marlow, in the middle of his story, interrupts himself to say "You know I hate, detest, and can't bear a lie." He does not think that he is better than the rest of the world. Lies simply appall him. Marlow feels there is a "taint of death, and a flavor of mortality in lies." Lying makes him feel "miserable and sick, like biting something rotten would do." Since he feels this way, he would only tell a lie in extraordinary circumstances. The first lie that Marlow told was in an extraordinary circumstance. It was told because of a notion that it would somehow be of help to Mr. Kurtz. The lie was told in order to allow the brick maker to think he had more influence in the company than he actually had. This lie would help Kurtz in two ways. Firstly, it would help Marlow to get the rivets he needed to fix the boat, and that would provide Kurtz with either a means of communication or a way out of the jungle. Secondly, it would provide Kurtz with an ally who was perceived as influential. Marlow knew that others were jealous of the Mr. Kurtz’s success. Some saw him as the next "Director of the Company," and some were trying to find a reason to hang him. If Marlow was considered powerful, he might be able to help Mr. Kurtz. This was an extraordinary reason for telling a lie. The second lie was also told in extraordinary circumstances. It is told to "the intended" so that the image of her dead fiancà © would not be destroyed. She had waited at least two years for her lover to return from Africa, and during this time had built his image up in her mind.

How the Theme of Kinship Is Dealt with in Macbeth

Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth contains an ellaborate exproation of the theme of kingship. The main character's evil plan aims at overthrowing the current ruler and assuming power over Scotland. Based on this the playwright profoundly analyses which qualities are the most important in a king and the divine right of kings. Before carrying out his plot Macbeth weighed up all the reasons why he wanted to proceed with it and all the arguments against his terrible murder plan. One such argument is that â€Å"this Duncan has been so clear in his great office. Duncan is portrayed as a wise ruler who feels strongly abou the security of his country in the ongoing war with Norway. However, our encounter with this noble man is very brief. Macbeth, once he became king, did not know how to rule a country. His major concerns are for his own safety and for te security of his own power. He doesn’t even consider the welfare of the Scottish people before going ahead with the regicide. This show s that no matter how dedicated you are to your country, even as a great warrior and â€Å"Bellona’s bridegroom† – as an ordinary person you may not rule a country.This message is reflective of the prevailing belief in the divine right of kings that existed in Shakespeare’s day. Macbeth is not fit for the task: with his Scotland is â€Å"bleeding. † The tyranny is reflected by the weather and bizarre supernatural events (pathetic fallacy). The playwright’s use of language in Macbeth is probably the brightest example of his ability to develop striking images. The enormous amount of heart-stopping gruesome references to blood and violence emphasise the consequences of the inadequate regime for which Macbeth is responsible.However, the Bard of Avon not only condemns the bad ruler but he explores the good qualities that a king should possess. Desperate and helpless, Macduff arrives in England to see Malcolm, the legitimate successor to Duncan's t hrone. Malcolm is almost an embodiment of all the positive qualities of kings. He, along with his brother, immediately decide to rely on themselves to preserve their dynasty by leaving Scotland despite the obvious and inevitable suspicion that it raises and their own bereavement. They handle the situation with wisdom and courage, all for the sake of their kingdom.When Malcolm meets Macduff we see more of his wisdom. He adopts the personality of a man who is â€Å"not fit to govern and not even to live. † Malcolm makes sure to not jeopardise his own life and the welfare of Scotland by â€Å"testing† Macduff. Malcolm, unlike Macbeth, is able to tell appearance from reality in his superiority as king. The main aspects highlighted by Malcom that are absolutely incompatible with a decent king are lying, voluptuousness and greed. He plans to â€Å"cut the nobles of their land, desire his jewels and this other's house†¦ our wives, your daughters, your matrons and your m aids may not fulfil the cistern of my lust. † Satisfied with Macduff's reaction Malcolm opens up: â€Å"All I am is thyne and mine country to command† and admits that he is not ridden with vices are he pretended. We find out Shakespeare's vision of king-becoming graces: â€Å"Justice, Verity, Temp'rance, Stableness, Bounty, Perseverance,Mercy, Lowliness, Devotion, Patience, Courage, Fortitude † The return of the rightful king is marked by the delight of he army. Nature reacts positively when Malcolm returns.Macbeth, on the contrary, is full of bravado anf feels invincible one minute and then left thinking about â€Å"all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death†¦ a poor player that struts and frets his hours upon the stage† as Scotland, Lady Macbeth and his soul are all deteriorating around him. In conculsion, the theme of kingship is well developed in the play, with illustrations of the difference between a noble king and anoble man t urned incompetent tyrant and the principles behind kingship.

Data Collection Method Participant Observation Essay

Data collection method participant observation Introduction and Meaning of Observation The most common method used for getting information about the various things around us, is to observe those things and also the various processes related to those things. Hence, it can be said that observation acts as an important, fundamental and the basic method of getting information about anything. But it must be kept in mind that observation is not just seeing things but it is carefully watching the things and trying to understand them in depth, in order to get some information about them related to what it is intended to. Observations sometimes act scientifically, when used by the researchers in various research works but it should be noted that all observations are not scientific in nature. Scientists and nonscientists both rely on observation to learn behavior. The difference between the scientific and nonscientific observation is the manner in which the observations are made. 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