Gikandi and Auerbach

Harlow

Gikandi’s Picasso, Africa, and the Schemata of Difference got me thinking about Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness”. The article stated that “the primitive was a conduit to understanding “civilized” man, art and poetry, not an endpoint in itself; there was no incentive to understand the Other unless it would lead to an understanding of Western civilization either in its “childhood” or moments of crisis” (458). I find this statement useful towards the reading of HOD. The story centers on imperialism and the white (“civilized”) man’s anxiety towards his interaction/similarity with the natives (the Other). Any mentioning of Africa and the Other happens at the periphery so as to fulfill the ultimate task of understanding the white man, who occupies the centre. Interestingly in HOD, the natives only appear at the margins of the river while the white men are located centrally in the river. The hired natives on the boat are positioned around Marlow, never occupying the central position/authority as he does. The article also mentioned that Picasso values Williams “merely as an object or subject of art, not as an artist, not as a body, not even as a human subject” (456). In this sense, perhaps the essentializing of Africa and Africans in HOD renders them into mere inanimate objects (no individuality)? The depiction of Africans as units of labour literally objectifies them to fulfill Conrad’s artistic expression of the slavery issue?

Auerbach’s “The Brown Stocking” was an interesting read. The explanation on how Virginia Woolf weaves the exterior occurrences and inner thought processes seamlessly through themes and images is enlightening. However, I find myself asking if there is any significance in this reading with regards to issues of the Empire, perhaps it only applies to the Modernism aspect of this module?

Cheng Wenzhang (Max)