The Freudian Model in Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay -- Heart Darkne

The Freudian Model in Heart of Darkness  Ã‚         In my essay I intend to prove Joseph Conrad's use of the Freudian model of the human mind, as portrayed in his characterization of Marlowe, Kurtz, and the "wilderness". Further, using that model I will explicate Conrad's ambiguous tone in Heart of Darkness. First, I must define each figure in Conrad's novel with its appropriate Freudian psyche. These psyche are defined in an essay by Ross C. Murfin's essay, "Psychoanalytic Criticism in The Awakening": "the human mind is essentially dual in nature. He called the predominately passional, irrational, unknown, and unconscious part of the psyche the id, or "it". The ego, or "I", was his term for the predominantly rational, logical, orderly, conscious part. Another aspect of the psyche, which he called the superego, is really a projection of the ego. The superego almost seems to be outside of the self, making moral judgements, telling us to make sacrifices for good causes even though self-sacrifice may not be quite logical or rational."(Murfin 219) We see the characteristics of Freud's "id" in the descriptions of Kurtz's savage actions as well as Marlowe's analysis as to why he acted this way: "I want you to clearly understand that there was nothing exactly profitable in these heads being there. They only showed that Mr. Kurtz lacked restraint in the gratification of his various lusts, that there was something wanting in him-some small matter which when the pressing need arose, could not be found under his magnificent eloquence. Whether he knew of this deficiency himself I can't say. I think the knowledge came to him at last-only at the very last. But the wilderness had found him out early, and had taken on him a terr... ...y the memory of gratified and monstrous passions." (Conrad 132) It is the connection between Kurtz, Marlowe and their inability to figure out the "wilderness" that we are left with Kurtz's chilling last words: "The horror. The horror." This quote is significant because of it ambiguity. Conrad keeps the readers curiosity by having us searching for "meaning" in what the heart of darkness is. The feeling of eerie confusion we get from Kurtz and Marlowe's fear and bewilderment of the wilderness is symbolic of the human mind's inability to realize the unconscious. Conrad uses the "wilderness" as Marlowe's symbol of the unconscious. Works Cited Murfin, Ross C.. "Feminist Criticism and The Awakening." in Chopin, Kate. The Awakening. Boston: Bedford Books, 1993. Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer. New York: Signet Classic, 1997.   

Divirgent’s World Essay

In a futuristic, dystopian Chicago, society is organized into five factions. Each faction places value solely on a specific virtue, which its members work to cultivate throughout their lives. There is Abnegation, which values selflessness, Amity, which values peace, Erudite, which values knowledge, Candor, which values honesty, and Dauntless, which values bravery. Children are raised in their parents’ faction, and once they turn sixteen, they have the option to choose for themselves which faction will be theirs for the rest of their lives, whether it’s the one they grew up in or not. Beatrice Prior is a sixteen-year-old member of Abnegation. She and her brother Caleb, who is not quite a year her elder, take the aptitude test that will tell them which faction they are most suitable for. The test consists of a simulation of a confrontation with a vicious dog. Beatrice shows aptitude for three different factions, Abnegation, Erudite, and Dauntless, and this means she is something called Divergent. She is warned to never tell anyone of her results – it is dangerous to be Divergent. After much contemplation over whether to stay in Abnegation or switch factions, Beatrice chooses to switch to Dauntless, and Caleb moves to Erudite. In Dauntless, Beatrice changes her name to Tris because she feels it will allow her to start over and become someone else entirely. She makes quick friends with two Candor transfers named Christina and Al, and an Erudite transfer named Will, while three other Candor transfers, Peter, Drew, and Molly, become her enemies. Initiation into this courageous faction involves three stages, and they will be ranked after each one. Only the top ten initiates will become Dauntless members; the rest will fail out and become factionless, forced to live on the streets of the city in poverty. The first stage of initiation involves learning how to fight from their mysterious initiation instructor, Four, and one of the cruel Dauntless leaders, Eric. Because Tris is small, she isn’t a particularly adept fighter, but she manages to get by.

Long Term Effects of Child Abuse - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1158 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/04/08 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Child Abuse Essay Did you like this example? Every ten seconds, a report of child abuse is made in the United States. State agencies estimated over 700,000 children had fallen victim to maltreatment in 2014 alone; this is enough to fill ten football stadiums (Childhelp 1). From physical abuse to emotional and sexual- children of all different ages, genders, and cultures can face maltreatment just the same. Neglect also presents itself as a form of child abuse because ignoring care can be just as dangerous as providing the wrong care. Physical abuse is characterized with violent actions. These actions include, but are not limited to: hitting, punching, slapping, choking, and pushing. Over 18% of children experience physical abuse in their developmental years. Marks are commonly left on victims and for this reason it may be easier to detect by outside parties. Unlike physical abuse, emotional abuse is easier to hide from the rest of the world. The marks are left on the pride of the victim rather than the skin. Nearly 7% of children experience the threats, constant yelling, and bullying that defines emotional abuse. Sexual abuse can be a combination of the two types of abuse described above. Sexual abuse is the unwanted touching to an unconsenting person for the sexual gratification of the perpetrator. Force of unwanted touching can be used along with threats; connecting sexual abuse to physical and emotional abuse. Of all the children experiencing abuse, almost 9% of them experience sexual abuse. Neglect is the fai lure to properly care for something, and in this case its children. An astounding 74.5% of children have a homelife with an environment that is unable to accommodate for their growing minds and bodies to flourish (American SPCC 1). Atmospheres as such lack the distribution of basic necessities such as food, water, housing, clothing, and healthcare. Being unable to provide emotional, educational, social and safety needs is also considered abuse (Kaplan 1). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Long Term Effects of Child Abuse" essay for you Create order While child abuse isnt exclusively directed towards one age group, it is more predominant in a given age range over others. More than one-quarter of the abuse in America occurs to children three years of age and younger (American SPCC 1). These kids are unable to defend themselves, and some even unable to comprehend what is happening to them and why its happening. Most times when a child is being abused its by a person that they love and trust. Someone they grew up around; and someone they dont believe could treat them in such a way (American SPCC 1). One study revealed that the child personally knows the perpetrator 90% of the time. In these cases it is the childs parent 39% of the time and a different relative 51% of the time (National Childrens Alliance 1). As a result of this, the child may believe the exposed behaviors are normal. Many individuals dont recognize how dangerous their situation is because its what they have always known. Having no good comparison of a healthy home life would prove the abusive mannerisms to be ordinary for them. Being exposed to this through the crucial years of development, creates repercussions for the childs adult life. Children who experience these traumas growing up are much more likely to develop psychological disorders later in their life. A study revealed that 80% of people 21 years of age that had reported abuse growing up do meet the criteria for having at least one psychological disorder. Some of the most common diagnoses for these victims include anxiety, major depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Having a mental illness and being abused also increases the risk of attempting suicide (American SPCC 1). The psychological self isnt the only part more susceptible to illness. Anything that is psychological can be biological, too. A link is shown between child abuse and diseases such as heart disease, chronic lung disease, liver disease, and even cancer. This is partly due to the strain an immune system experiences when compromised with depression (Child Welfare 1). Inability to cope healthily may drive an individual to try any coping mechanism they find easily accessible, no matter how potentially harmful. Individuals who grow up in a dangerous environment are more prone to start smoking and drinking at a young age. This in turn can lead to alcoholism and illicit drug use (Childhelp 1). Beginning to have sex at an early age with numerous partners is common among this certain population, too. Unsafe sexual behaviors start to be practiced, putting them at an increased risk for not only STIs but also for teen pregnancies (American SPCC 1). Children raised in abusive households tend to have a twisted sense of personal morals due to lack of guidance, thus causing irresponsible choices. As time goes on under these circumstances, the child will unconsciously start to pick up habits and mannerisms they have experienced first hand. As a result of this, the learned behaviors will start to intertwine into their own personality. Because of this process, abused children are more likely to abuse their own children. Studies show that almost 30% of people that report being abused at a young age will later show the same behaviors to their own offsprings (American SPCC 1). Not much data is provided regarding which types of abuse are more likely to be transferred upon adulthood, regardless though, abuse is a vicious cycle because history will continue to repeat itself. Survivors of abuse can experience greater difficulty in establishing interpersonal relationships, compared to their counterparts. Because of former life experiences, once abused children reach adulthood theyre more likely experience relationship difficulties such as trust issues, fears of intimacy, and unclear boundaries. Along with these, victims may become passive in their lives, or on the opposite side become violent and defensive in response to what has happened, and some victims later go on to become involved in abusive relationships (Cunningham, J., Pearce, T., Pearce, P. 3). Previous abuse may hinder the ability to create strong, lasting interpersonal relationships. Several factors can affect the consequences of abuse and neglect. Evidence shows that the younger the child is at the time of maltreatment, the more difficulties they will face in adulthood. This is due to the inability to carefully process events, especially traumatic ones at a young age. The type and severity of the abuse massively reflects on behaviors later in life. Resolvement of abuse is an important factor for the victim. If the perpetrator was detected and safety measures were taken, the results may not be as toxic to the individual compared to having no resolution. Dependent on the survivors outlook and willingness to grow from the situation, and whether therapy is used as a guiding tool, elimination of behavioral ties to the abuse can be made possible (Bromfield Higgins). It is important to note that no two people experience identical abuse and each person has the right to react differently. Whether it be different outcomes, different coping mechanisms, or different adaptive behaviors and habits, all are valid. The presence of childhood abuse does not define a person or determine their outcome in their life. The future is not predetermined from the past.