Characters of Paradise Lost and Heart of Darkness - Literature review Example

Paradise Lost vs. Heart of Darkness Introduction In all the types of literary works, the characters created by the evoke feelings of sympathy, abhorrence, love, resentment or approbation in their readers. The complexity of the human thoughts is reflected in the varied emotions portrayed by the characters. In this paper we are going to focus on the techniques used by the authors to develop sympathy towards their characters and the ways in which different genres represent sympathy in their characters. The two genres selected are epic poem, “Paradise Lost” and novel, “Heart of Darkness”. The novel “Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad is a story of an Englishman, Marlow. Marlow’s narration about his journey to the Congo in Africa is the central subject of the novel. Marlow is employed as a ferry-boat captain by a Belgian trading company. His job is to carry ivory downriver, but the main task assigned to him is to bring Kurtz back to his society. Kurtz is a rebel who has moved away from his own civilization and settled in deep jungles of Congo. The character of Kurtz is revealed by Marlowe’s narration inducing a mixed feeling of hatred and sympathy for him. In the epic poem, “Paradise Lost” by John Milton, the poet recounts the events that led to the downfall of mankind. Adam and Eve, the first human beings to be created by God lived in the Garden of Eden. The beauty of the Garden of Eden was so enchanting that it was also called as Paradise. But Satan who was keen to avenge God, lures Eve to consume the forbidden fruit. On the knowledge of Eve’s horrendous act, Adam also eats the fruit for he is not ready to leave Eve alone in her suffering. Adam and Eve are expelled by God from the Garden of Eden as a chastisement for their act of disobedience. The title of the poem refers to the lost purity of Adam and Eve. Sympathy and The characters The two characters that make one to feel sympathetic towards them are Kurtz in the novel, “Heart of Darkness” and Adam in the poem, “Paradise Lost”. Kurtz has gained control on the tribes of the jungle and taken over the territory. He has a great influence on the native tribes who worship him. The company is not ready to accept any threat to its own control over the region and assigns Marlowe to bring Kurtz back to his own civilization. Kurtz has settled in jungles as an act of defiance against the cruel ways of the company but he is not able to keep himself away from the temptation of power. He utilizes the natives to conduct brutal incursions in the neighboring regions to procure ivory. Though Kurtz is living amidst the natives, he is not concerned about their welfare. He is using them to serve his own greed. Marlowe during his journey hears a lot about Kurtz making him to believe that Kurtz must be a dominant and a remarkable person. But he is stunned when he actually meets him, “I saw the thin arm extended commandingly, the lower jaw moving, the eyes of that shining apparition……at a motionless crowd of men made of dark and glittering bronze”.(Conrad, pg.133). Marlowe feels the darkness of his heart upon meeting him. But he is impressed by the resolute determination of Kurtz. He begins to admire him and his indomitable spirit. In spite of his scrawny physical condition his voice was authoritative holding Marlowe in awe, “I saw him open his mouth- it gave him a weirdly voracious aspect, as though he had wanted to swallow all the air, all the earth. all the men before him”. (Conrad, pg 134). Marlowe convinces Kurtz to come with him but he dies on his the way. Marlowe describes the death of Kurtz in such a way that we feel pity for him. Kurtz was a brave man but his bravery was overshadowed by his cruelty. The jungle which gave him power and money also snatched away his life. The commanding life of a powerful person ends in a pathetic way. The author succeeds in creating sympathy for his character, Kurtz through the narration of Marlowe. Marlowe as the narrator of the novel is sympathetic of Kurtz even though he is aware of the fact that Kurtz was exploiting the natives to serve his own voracity. In the poem “Paradise Lost”, Adam and Eve fall prey to the evil plan of Satan who is seeking revenge against the God. Satan, an angel was thrown into hell by God when he initiated a revolution of angels against God. Satan is jealous of God’s creation, Adam and Eve, and their blissful life in the beautiful Garden of Eden. So to fulfill his thirst for revenge, he chooses the form of serpent, “With narrow search, and with inspection deep Consider’d every creature; which of all Most opportune might serve his wiles, and found The serpent subtlest beast of all the field”. (Milton, pg 369). Disguised as a serpent he waits in the Garden of Eden for a perfect chance. In the morning when Adam and Eve are about to begin their gardening work, Eve proposes that they should go in different directions, “Let us divide our labors, thou where choice Leads thee, or where most needs whether to wind”. (Milton, pg.375). Adam reluctantly agrees to this proposal. Upon finding Eve alone, the Satan comes forward to speak to her. Eve is astonished to hear a serpent speaking and keenly listens to the sayings of the serpent. Satan praises her beauty in an attempt to please her and make her believe in his words. He tempts Eve to taste the forbidden fruit, to which Eve replies that God has proscribed them from eating the fruit. She also reveals her fear that eating of the fruit will lead to death. But Satan succeeds in convincing her that the fear of death is unfounded, “Those rigid threats of death: ye shall not die. How should ye? by the fruit? It gives you life To knowledge; by the threat’ner? Look on me, Me who have touch’d and tasted, yet both live. (Milton, pg.394). Eve was no longer able to control her longing for the fruit. She plucked a fruit from the tree and ate it disobeying the order of her own creator, God. Upon meeting Adam she offers him the fruits of the same tree and also tells him about the consumption of fruit by her on the insistence of the serpent. Adam is shocked to hear this but he is also afraid of a life without Eve. So he also eats the fruit to join Eve in her fate. Adam and Eve lose their innocence upon eating the fruit, “As from unrest, and each the other viewing, Soon found their eyes how open’d and their minds How darken’d. Innocence that as a veil Had shadow’d them from knowing ill was gone’. (Milton, pg. 409). When God comes to know about this act of defiance by Adam and Eve, he is enraged and decides to banish them from the Garden of Eden. Adam out of his love for Eve incurs the wrath of God by eating the forbidden fruit. It is the sin of Eve that brings suffering upon Adam. Adam is torn between his love for Eve and his wish to obey God. But his love for Eve is so intense that he can’t imagine his life without Eve. Adam’s sin is that he picks Eve over God, making him a weak person who is not able to control his attraction towards Eve. But he is not entirely responsible for the downfall of the mankind. Eve is the one who caves in to the sycophancy of serpent and contravenes God. Adam is a caring and intelligent person, but his thinking his blinded by his love for Eve. After being expelled from the Garden of Eden, Adam is depressed by the state of mankind brought upon by him and Eve. Adam thus makes one feel sympathetic towards him. His expulsion from the Paradise due to the frailty of Eve creates empathy for Adam. Sympathy and Genre Different genres represent sympathy between the characters in diverse ways. The genre whether it is a poem, novel, epic or dramatic monologue presents the perceptions, feelings and thoughts of characters and narrators in intricate ways. The genre apt for creating sympathy is the one that portrays a character through the narration of the author or the central character of the story. In the novel “Heart of Darkness” the character of Kurtz is exposed by the narration of Marlowe. The trials and tribulations of Kurtz’s life are presented by Marlowe in his words which express the feeling of admiration and sympathy that Marlowe has for Kurtz. The death of Kurtz is described by Marlowe in the following words, “Oh, I wasn’t touched. I was fascinated. It was as though a veil had been rent……he cried out twice, a cry that was no more than a breath”. (Conrad, pg.68). Marlowe’s fascination of Kurtz despite of the fact that he was an exploiter of the natives explains his sympathetic view towards Kurtz. The author provides a complex image of Kurtz through the narrations of Marlowe and the minor characters of the novel. Kurtz never speaks for himself and it is Marlowe who provides all the aspects of Kurtz’s character. This technique used in the novel is more effective in creating pity for its characters. The various facets of Kurtz’s disposition are revealed by different persons in their own perceptions. Marlowe stresses on the feeling of darkness that he felt upon meeting Kurtz. The irony in the death of Kurtz is that the same jungle which he ruled took his life. The tragic end to his life also facilitates towards the development of Kurtz’s character as a person evoking sympathy in the hearts of the other characters. In the poem, “Paradise Lost” the poet is the narrator who is describing the events that lead to expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. Adam is portrayed as an ideal human being who is aware of his responsibilities towards his wife and his duties towards mankind. He acts plausibly and advises Eve to do so. Eve tempted by the serpent eats the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Although she knew that God had forbidden them from eating the fruit, she acquiesces to the convincing of the serpent. Adam is troubled by the outcomes of this act when Eve informs him about her act of disobedience towards God. He feels restless when he thinks of his life without Eve. The thought of parting from his beloved wife is so overwhelming that his love for God is subdued at that moment. He hesitates for a moment when Eve offers him the fruit but later gives in to the charms of his wife, “She gave him that fair enticing fruit with the liberal hand: he scrupled not to eat Against his better knowledge: not deceived, But fondly overcome, with female charm.” (Conrad, pg.407). When God comes to know about this defiant act of Adam and Eve, He resolves to penalize them, “For still they knew, and ought to have still remember’d The high injunction not to taste that fruit, Whoever tempted: which they not obeying, Incurr’d (what could they less?) the penalty”. (Conrad, pg.418). And Adam and Eve were send away from the Garden of Eden by God. Adam was punished though it was Eve who had offered the fruit to Adam. Adam was so deeply in love with Eve that he forgot God and his duty towards mankind. The fact that Adam was suffering for the sin committed by Eve creates sympathy for Adam. The poet is also sympathetic towards the plight of Adam. Here also Adam is not speaking for himself, it is the poet who is narrating his story. The poet brings forth the various features of Adam’s character. The irony regarding the fate of Adam is that the person whom he loved the most was responsible for his downfall. This realization makes it more painful for Adam to accept his fate. This element of irony in the disgrace of Adam makes the feeling of sympathy towards him more intense. It is easier for the author to create sympathy for his characters when someone else is speaking for them. For the life of a person is judged from the viewpoint of others. When a person is speaking for himself his thoughts may represent his own beliefs which may be wrong from the perspective of other person. Different genres portray their characters in tricky situations which bring out the convolution of emotions they express. In the novel “Heart of Darkness” the narration of the central character, Marlowe is used to present the spirit of Kurtz while in the epic poem “Paradise Lost” the poet himself is recounting the tale of Adam and Eve. Both genres are very different in their forms and style but the technique used by for creating sympathy for their characters is same. The narrators of both the works are expressing their views about the lives of other characters. So the feeling of sympathy is apparent from their thoughts. The role of irony is also significant in the creation of sympathy between the characters in any literary work. Works cited Conard, Joseph. Hearts of Darkness, Filiquarian Publishing, LLC. 2006. Milton, John. Paradise Lost, Baker and Scribner. 1850. Read More