Romantic Features in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness

In this book, I offered some insights into the connection of Romanticism and Joseph Conrad. Conrad s Heart of Darkness and Coleridge s Rime of the Ancient Mariner were in the main focus. These two works are separated by a hundred years nevertheless they have many things in common. For instance the theme: mariners go through crucial experience that changes their personalities. The difference is in the intellectual backround which influences the message of the works (the one is religious and the other is nihilistic). Another concern is how narration is handled by the authors. In Conrad many aspects of narration can be called as Romantic (e.g. adjectival diction, interruptions, admission of failure) for in Romantic poets these features can also be discovered. This is the theme of the problem of writing. Both the Romantic poets and Conrad focused on the problem or gap between narration, the world of words and action, the non-verbal world. I also wrote about the failure admitted both by the Romantic poets and Conrad i.e. the recognition that words are inadequate means for revealing reality. This fact is connected to the contrary belief that writing is still a reasonable activity.

Autorentext

Was born in 1976. He has learnt history, philosophy and English at Pázmány Péter Catholic University in Piliscsaba (in Hungary). Works as a teacher. Contact: polakgy2@gmail.com