English characters Essay

Adela rump be paralleled to Kurtz in Conrads refreshfulla, who like her is in some ways also aw argon of the power of imperialism and its negative effects, as vigorous as the changes it forces upon those living under its influence. Kurtz was a bright ambitious small-arm drawn to the Congo by imperialisms force, however unlike the Anglo-Indians much(prenominal) as Ronnie and Mr Turton, it can be interpreted he became aw are of the negative effect imperialism was having upon him, and as a result his soul is mad. For me Kurtzs dying words on his deathbed The Horror. The Horror. have great significance these final words are open to any number of interpretations, from meaning the horror of the things he has witnessed, to the horror of the Congo surround itself. My own interpretation is that this shows Kurtzs realization of his own Heart of Darkness and the shocking deeds he has done under its corrupting influence. Perhaps the save real difference between a Kurtz and a Ronnie or a T urton, is that Kurtz has recognised the effect imperialism has had on him and has seemingly made a conscious purpose to go along with this corruption completely, with devastating consequences.While characters such as Kurtz and Adela are somewhat aware of their changes and the negative consequences, the majority of characters in Forsters novel (or at least the imperialist Anglo-Indians) are also aware of the changes which occur in English people once under the influence of the Raj, but are hypocritical and do non see themselves as corrupted or racist. They simply believe that this is the only proper way for them to act.Ronnie himself who was once nice to the Indians, subsequently just a brief period under the influence of imperialism in India, now aspires to be like Mr Turton who he sees a character of the utmost wisdom, and as a result has copied his behaviour. Conrad paints a harsh, brutal portrait of imperialism in his novella, giving little or no characterisation to any of th e African slaves/natives. He seems to evidence the slaves merely as objects or machines or even in one instance angles.He does not name any characters but gives them a name according to their job or characteristics, characters such as The Helmsman, who had been educated by Marlowes poor predecessor only to perform one task, and that was to steer the boat. Compared to Conrad, Forster efficacy appear tame. Conrad depicts the brutality of imperialism in a shocking way, showing the black slaves being made to perform meaningless hard-labour tasks such as digging holes and describing the visible state of their bodies in disturbingly graphic detail Marlowe the narrator can see every rib.In Forsters novel however possibly the most shocking incident is the alleged assault of Adela which probably didnt even happen. However Conrad does show some compassion in his novel, the slaves or Hollowmen, are pitied by Conrads protagonist Marlowe he offers a biscuit to a dying slave and also saves t he helmsmens corpse from being eaten by cannibals.Added to this are Marlowes views on imperialism itself, apparently similar to Forsters This conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion than ourselves, is not a pretty thing. Forster, it has been argued looks dispassionately at the phenomenon of imperialism (John Beer), and indeed, unlike Conrad, Forster in many ways shows imperialism in a much less obviously brutal light.However, I would argue that he does indicate a great dislike of peoples inner Heart of Darkness, which allows for the negative effects of imperialism, and he does so more gradually, through the in-depth characterisation of his characters. He particularly achieves this through those he is sympathetic with, such as Aziz, in whom he shows both the good points and poisonous (he is not afraid to show racism present in his Indian characters)- making the Indians, unlike Conrads slaves, real people, who we as r eaders can empathise with, sort of than simply be horrified by.Forsters sympathetic characterisation of the Indians makes the acts of racism against them all the more sad, and by this he does paint, like Conrad, a brutal send off of Imperialism, through use of characters who have had their hearts of darkness triggered by imperialism and make such shockingly racist, not to mention patronising, remarks as The kindest thing one can do to a native is to let it die (Mrs Callendar).Forster also gets us to sympathise with English characters who do not look dispassionately at the phenomenon of imperialism, such as Fielding (Indeed Fielding is believed by many to be Forsters representation of himself in the book). He through Fielding attempts to show the good in people, and like Conrads Marlowe, but to a much greater extent, shows acts of compassion and liberal mindedness in Fielding he is the first English professor to give lessons Indians in his university and has Indian friends such as Godbole, and becomes a friend to Aziz.However Forster makes it all too clear that Fielding is a on his own, a man swimming in a sea of racists, such as the Turtons and Callandars. The act which sets Fielding most apart from his fellow Englishmen is of course his support of Aziz in the Marabar map but even he shows his inner heart of darkness when he deserts Aziz at the train station and at the end of the trial.