Irony is a fickle and ever-changing
weapon. Misusing an ironic tone could
spell disaster, especially when narrating fiction. In times passed, irony has been used
throughout a text when an author wants the reader to think about the underlying
message of a certain text, in this way Heart
of Darkness is no exception. Joseph
Conrad attempts to use irony and satire as literary techniques to engulf the
reader in a convoluted web of meaning and interpretation, yet it is possible
that in seeking to be obscure he has become unclear. Is the author’s use of irony as a general
tone successful in portraying a discrete but understandable message?
When Marlow starts narrating his tale in the
Congo, the reader is apprehensive. After
a few events have been narrated, the reader begins to draw conclusions,
naturally, in order to formulate a sort of character profile for Marlow. He begins describing the efforts of European
colonizers in the Congo and refers to their mistreatment of the native peoples
as something necessary and to the operation as a whole as a “noble cause.” Obviously, the child of a Western education
is taken aback when reading that when a European “felt the need at last of
asserting his self-respect in some way… (so) he wacked the nigger mercilessly…”
(72) Therefore, it is natural to start looking for an explanation of some
sort. In this case, it isn’t very
difficult to find: because Conrad is writing a novel that has irony as a
primary trait, it can be assumed that Marlow was also taken aback at the sight
of such cruelty and that he was being sarcastic when he said that. So, Marlow’s anecdote continues, but the
reader finds that it is increasingly difficult to ignore the condescending tone
that is being used when referring to black people. Marlow says “a lot of people, mostly black
and naked, moved about like ants.” (79) Now, was that a mistake from the
author, whereas he meant to say, “moved about like majestic tigers,” but
instead put ants? No, that’s
unlikely. So it must be one of two things,
either Marlow, and by default Conrad, thinks less of dark skinned people, or,
through the use of irony and sarcasm (what is said v what is meant) he is
hinting that these people were seen as inferior “ants” but they are actually
worthy and noble creatures.
After having concluded Part I of the novel,
it is unclear to the reader how Conrad wishes to portray the black people. This may or may not be of imminent importance
to further understanding of the novel, but it is however, a concrete example of
how irony and the possible interpretations that may derive from it affect a
reader’s attitude toward the author.
Right now, the answer to the original question regarding ironic tone
would have to be no, Conrad doesn’t portray
a message that is clear to the reader.
However, given the fickle nature of irony, the reader could be set up
for satisfaction by the time the novel is finished.
In his blog entry to Part I of "Heart of Darkness", Mateo Wiesner raised an interesting question as to the use of irony in the novel. What I enjoyed the most, aside from his relevant, textual references, was his conclusion. He actually gave an answer to the question he had initially proposed and concluded that no, an effective use of irony on behalf of Joseph Conrad cannot yet be claimed.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, Mateo has a straightforward way of writing that allows the reader to enjoy his analysis. It is neither repetitive nor wordy. He does a great job at introducing his entry; giving slight background information about the thesis he was about to propose and, most importantly, going straight to the point. He is able to create a superb mixture between scholar diction and unusual sentence structure.
I liked the fact that Mateo went beyond the text. I, for example, analyzed Part I on a literal level; I used what Conrad had written and worked with that. Mateo, on the other hand, took what Conrad had written and worked with the way it had been written; why Conrad achieved through the use of irony and what possible underlying message this may have had.