Cam Collins
Maddox
Imperialism, Capitalism Essay
31 January 2010
In Africa during the nineteenth century, Imperialism and Capitalism were major themes. Wealthy economic powers from around the world came to Africa in search of productive ventures. In Heart Of Darkness the themes of imperialism and capitalism reflect the failure of industrialization, the great amount of racism in Africa, and the lustful quest for ivory as a valuable resource in the Congo.
The failure of industrialization in Africa is a recurring theme that reflects imperialistic thought in this novel. Constantly throughout Heart of Darkness, there is something wrong with Marlow's steamer. Marlow commonly tells us readers that his steamer is about to die, or is on its last breath, like in this quote, ".... the steamer seemed at her last gasp.... I caught myself listening on tiptoe for the next beat of the boat.... But we still crawled.(Conrad 57)" As judging by this and when Marlow gets infuriated about "rivets" we can see that his boat is terrible, which allows us to recognize the failure of industrialization in Africa. Also, the undersized railway truck that was flipped over missing a wheel again symbolizes the negative results of imposing European imperialists in Africa.
The theme of racism also hints to imperialism and capitalism throughout this novel. All thoughout the book Conrad gives us readers an insight to the harsh and crude treatment of Africans in the nineteenth century. For example, a black man was accused of burning down a shed when their was no such evidence and was punished severely for it. The language that Conrad uses identifies the discrimination that was clearly seen in Africa. Conrad makes the comparison of "a quarrel-some band of footsore sulky niggers" to a donkey(44). Unnecessary punishment as well as racial discrimination were commonplaces in this novel and in Africa.
One of the physical plots in this novel is that European capitalists are trying to exploit all of the major resources in Africa, and in this book, specifically on the Congo river. "The word 'ivory' rang in the air.... You would think they were praying to it.(33)" Ivory was a valued necessity to European Capitalists in Africa. It was crucial to their rank in trade and industrialization. Conrad uses the object of ivory to express a literal meaning of Kurtz journey into the jungle. Conrad brings up the term ivory throughout the novel as Marlow tries to find Kurtz. Ivory is simply a symbol for capitalism in that European capitalists will go deep into the dangerous and treacherous jungles of Africa in order to exploit major resources.
"The Eldorado Exploring Expedition" shows a similar theme in that it clearly defines the imperialist and capitalist theme in this novel. The expedition is a symbol for Capitalist's lust for gold in the jungle. Capitalists traveled in great danger just to bring back gold and fortune for their private organizations. Imperialists, on the other hand brought back resources to bring prosper to their respective countries so they could compete in the world's balance for power. The Belgians, in this novel, were venturing deep in the jungle as a sign of their colonizing Africa and their fierce competitiveness to win the world's balance for power.
The themes Imperialism and Capitalism occur more in the first half of Heart of Darkness than in the second. It is almost as if Conrad is using the beginning of the novel to express a literal meaning of the journey and the second half of the novel to show a more psychological and metaphorical interpretation of the journey into the wilderness. Nevertheless, Conrad shows a great deal of Imperialism and Capitalism in this novel both physically and pyschologically.
Sources:
Conrad, Joseph. Heart Of Darkness. New York. Bantam Books, 1902.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Cam Collins
Winter Blog Post 2
I am not really excited that school is about to start up again. I hate the feeling of having lots of homework and Schmidt tests and quizzes. On the positive side, I got lots of new shoes to wear and I am pumped about the rest of the basketball season. We are going to win region and are going to advance far in the state tournament. The only way to do this, however, is to push ourselves in practice and never give up. We have really good coaches and a lot of potential on our team. All we have to do is put it into action.
Right now, I am already ready for next weekend. School is really going to stink. I really hope all the teachers start out easy on us so we can get a feel for what school is like after this long break. This trimester I plan on doing very well in both the athletic and academic sides of school. I am also going to get a lot stronger during fitness, which will continue to help me in basketball. 2010 is going to be a fantastic year for me, as well as for our athletic teams here at Darlington.
Winter Blog Post 2
I am not really excited that school is about to start up again. I hate the feeling of having lots of homework and Schmidt tests and quizzes. On the positive side, I got lots of new shoes to wear and I am pumped about the rest of the basketball season. We are going to win region and are going to advance far in the state tournament. The only way to do this, however, is to push ourselves in practice and never give up. We have really good coaches and a lot of potential on our team. All we have to do is put it into action.
Right now, I am already ready for next weekend. School is really going to stink. I really hope all the teachers start out easy on us so we can get a feel for what school is like after this long break. This trimester I plan on doing very well in both the athletic and academic sides of school. I am also going to get a lot stronger during fitness, which will continue to help me in basketball. 2010 is going to be a fantastic year for me, as well as for our athletic teams here at Darlington.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Cam Collins
Christmas Break post
My Christmas break has been a blast. I am lucky in that I have spent so much time with friends and family. I got many great gifts for Christmas, which I am avidly thankful for. For example, I am writing my blog with my new Toshiba laptop. I went to a Georgia Tech basketball game in which they lost to Florida State. I also went to the new Sherlock Holmes movie with my cousins which was very interesting and intriguing. I also am very much enjoying all of the sleep-in time because I know when school starts again its gonna be rough. I have been to Darlington several times over the break for varsity basketball practice. Repitition makes perfect so there is no break for me. The only way to get better is to work. New Year's was really fun. I went into a semi-hot hot tub in around 40 degree weather. It was awesome.
Christmas Break post
My Christmas break has been a blast. I am lucky in that I have spent so much time with friends and family. I got many great gifts for Christmas, which I am avidly thankful for. For example, I am writing my blog with my new Toshiba laptop. I went to a Georgia Tech basketball game in which they lost to Florida State. I also went to the new Sherlock Holmes movie with my cousins which was very interesting and intriguing. I also am very much enjoying all of the sleep-in time because I know when school starts again its gonna be rough. I have been to Darlington several times over the break for varsity basketball practice. Repitition makes perfect so there is no break for me. The only way to get better is to work. New Year's was really fun. I went into a semi-hot hot tub in around 40 degree weather. It was awesome.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Arabian Nights
Cam Collins
Arabian Nights Story
“There was once a woman named Carly Patterson that was mischievous and never got caught by the cops. She was a cereal-killer, and was intelligent enough that she snuck into the Pentagon and stole private information. She never was detected and was on the FBI’s most wanted list starting when she was eighteen. Carly was one of the most intelligent criminal masterminds that have ever walked this earth.
When Carly Patterson was five years old, she snuck out of her kindergarten classroom, hitched a taxi, and got a ride home. From then on during that day, Carly watched television and ate candy until her parents got home from work. The teacher never knew that Carly skipped class because she set a digital image of herself in her seat as a five year old! Carly could outsmart any of her teachers throughout grade school, and she could unlock the school’s computer code so that she could change her grades, absences, etc. Aside from all of this, Carly Patterson did not have many friends. She was always at home figuring out plans to break government laws and get away with it. Carly’s goal in life was to define why America’s security system just wasn’t good enough.
When Carly was eighteen, instead of going to college, she dedicated her life to getting by security, and stealing some of the Pentagon’s computer information. She was not an Anti-American, she just wanted to break the law for the fun of it. On the night of Christmas Eve, eighteen-year-old Carly Patterson grappled onto the top of the Pentagon. She broke the glass silently with her special design “any type of glass breaker” in order to be unheard, but as she did this she sneezed and an alarm went off. Carly was already repelling when she heard the alarm, and did so to the ground. Immediately when she landed she was completely surrounded by two-hundred FBI agents with machine guns. It seemed as if Carly Patterson’s perfect streak of mischief was over.
Once surrounded Carly used a smoke grenade that caused all two hundred of the FBI agents to not be able to see. Carly then repelled back to the top of the Pentagon and scaled down the other side. She decided to come back the next day on Christmas.
So on the night of December 25, Carly Patterson again went to the Pentagon, but this time disguised as a regular middle-aged woman that looked African-American. She went in the sewer this time that was closest to the Pentagon, traveled far enough so that she was directly under the Pentagon, and drilled a hole upwards so that she could see up inside the Pentagon. However, this was not just an ordinary drill, it activated silently so that no alarms went off. She then crept into the building's database center, deactivated the computer codes, logged on and pulled up some vital information of the U.S. government. Then, she walked out of the room with the lights and all computers on, so that the next day people would see that the Pentagon was easily broke into. But, as she left the room, her cell phone went off. It was a text message saying, 'Come outside and you will be lit up like a Christmas tree on Christmas day'. Carly gasped and...," and thats all for today said Scheherazade.
Arabian Nights Story
“There was once a woman named Carly Patterson that was mischievous and never got caught by the cops. She was a cereal-killer, and was intelligent enough that she snuck into the Pentagon and stole private information. She never was detected and was on the FBI’s most wanted list starting when she was eighteen. Carly was one of the most intelligent criminal masterminds that have ever walked this earth.
When Carly Patterson was five years old, she snuck out of her kindergarten classroom, hitched a taxi, and got a ride home. From then on during that day, Carly watched television and ate candy until her parents got home from work. The teacher never knew that Carly skipped class because she set a digital image of herself in her seat as a five year old! Carly could outsmart any of her teachers throughout grade school, and she could unlock the school’s computer code so that she could change her grades, absences, etc. Aside from all of this, Carly Patterson did not have many friends. She was always at home figuring out plans to break government laws and get away with it. Carly’s goal in life was to define why America’s security system just wasn’t good enough.
When Carly was eighteen, instead of going to college, she dedicated her life to getting by security, and stealing some of the Pentagon’s computer information. She was not an Anti-American, she just wanted to break the law for the fun of it. On the night of Christmas Eve, eighteen-year-old Carly Patterson grappled onto the top of the Pentagon. She broke the glass silently with her special design “any type of glass breaker” in order to be unheard, but as she did this she sneezed and an alarm went off. Carly was already repelling when she heard the alarm, and did so to the ground. Immediately when she landed she was completely surrounded by two-hundred FBI agents with machine guns. It seemed as if Carly Patterson’s perfect streak of mischief was over.
Once surrounded Carly used a smoke grenade that caused all two hundred of the FBI agents to not be able to see. Carly then repelled back to the top of the Pentagon and scaled down the other side. She decided to come back the next day on Christmas.
So on the night of December 25, Carly Patterson again went to the Pentagon, but this time disguised as a regular middle-aged woman that looked African-American. She went in the sewer this time that was closest to the Pentagon, traveled far enough so that she was directly under the Pentagon, and drilled a hole upwards so that she could see up inside the Pentagon. However, this was not just an ordinary drill, it activated silently so that no alarms went off. She then crept into the building's database center, deactivated the computer codes, logged on and pulled up some vital information of the U.S. government. Then, she walked out of the room with the lights and all computers on, so that the next day people would see that the Pentagon was easily broke into. But, as she left the room, her cell phone went off. It was a text message saying, 'Come outside and you will be lit up like a Christmas tree on Christmas day'. Carly gasped and...," and thats all for today said Scheherazade.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Cam Collins
Maddox
Modest Proposal
11 October 2009
Champions
If you want to be a champion in the field of athletics, you have to be different from everyone else. You not only have to have a strong work ethic and practice all the time, you must have a strong athletic body and the top level of coordination.
Well lets say that a kid has a killer work ethic and heart for the game, but he hasn’t the height, the body, or even the slightest bit of hand-eye. This kid has a dream of playing professional ball, but no one can fathom that possibility when looking at the kid. Well, what do you do? This kid lives on the sport, but he looks as of a nerd. The only solution that will allow this kid to live his dream is to do something different from everyone else in the sporting world. This kid has to take large amounts of steroids and GH. The kid might not sustain the proper coordination, but he will be able to compete strength-wise and hop over all the other athletes. He probably won’t live as long, and once the sports authorities find out about illegal steroids, chances are the kid will be banned from sports. But, at least he will be on top for awhile, maybe be the best for year or two. If it is what he wants, he will do anything for that ounce of glory, even if he only gets that chance once. It is the only possibility for kids who are not physically talented.
Maddox
Modest Proposal
11 October 2009
Champions
If you want to be a champion in the field of athletics, you have to be different from everyone else. You not only have to have a strong work ethic and practice all the time, you must have a strong athletic body and the top level of coordination.
Well lets say that a kid has a killer work ethic and heart for the game, but he hasn’t the height, the body, or even the slightest bit of hand-eye. This kid has a dream of playing professional ball, but no one can fathom that possibility when looking at the kid. Well, what do you do? This kid lives on the sport, but he looks as of a nerd. The only solution that will allow this kid to live his dream is to do something different from everyone else in the sporting world. This kid has to take large amounts of steroids and GH. The kid might not sustain the proper coordination, but he will be able to compete strength-wise and hop over all the other athletes. He probably won’t live as long, and once the sports authorities find out about illegal steroids, chances are the kid will be banned from sports. But, at least he will be on top for awhile, maybe be the best for year or two. If it is what he wants, he will do anything for that ounce of glory, even if he only gets that chance once. It is the only possibility for kids who are not physically talented.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Collins1
Cam Collins
Maddox
Epic Poem
1 October 2009
One In a Trillion
Hero: Jameson Netello
Setting: A boy from Topeka. Kansas is the best in the world
Opening Action: Author begins with informing the audience how Jameson is the best at every sport. He is absolutely the best there ever was and will be.
This is the story of Jameson Netello,
Fellow to all, equal to none.
One in a trillion is a boy named Jameson,
Talented in every athletic way, doesn’t have a con.
The name Jameson defines winning,
Anything that involves competition and sport, he will keep your head spinning.
The boy Jameson easily conquers fame,
For this reason one must, “Remember the Name.”
Jameson became acquainted with sport at an early age.
A young baby, always moving around like he was mad with rage,
His parents couldn’t contain him, they needed a cage.
When Jameson was five, he was five feet tall,
And for Christmas that year, all he wanted was a ball.
He kicked it and threw it,
Dribbled it and maneuvered it,
Bounced it and shot it,
Spiraled it and caught it.
Collins2
Jameson was the competitive type,
When in a game, he always lived for the hype.
He dreamed of being the best,
But not just at one sport, but all the rest.
Anything that involved him holding the victor’s cup,
Kept him on his game, always in the clutch.
When he was just a youth teen, the sporting world was after him,
Not one could figure why he was so special,
Was it the work he put in, the stature he had, the killer instinct he showed?
Or was it that a god made him to be always a professional, a man among boys.
People also argued that he was the god of sports,
Because he never had an off game, he was 100%.
By fifteen, Jameson was the best athlete in the world,
None could beat him, few could play alongside him.
This, only the beginning of Jameson’s long reign in his kingdom of sports.
Cam Collins
Maddox
Epic Poem
1 October 2009
One In a Trillion
Hero: Jameson Netello
Setting: A boy from Topeka. Kansas is the best in the world
Opening Action: Author begins with informing the audience how Jameson is the best at every sport. He is absolutely the best there ever was and will be.
This is the story of Jameson Netello,
Fellow to all, equal to none.
One in a trillion is a boy named Jameson,
Talented in every athletic way, doesn’t have a con.
The name Jameson defines winning,
Anything that involves competition and sport, he will keep your head spinning.
The boy Jameson easily conquers fame,
For this reason one must, “Remember the Name.”
Jameson became acquainted with sport at an early age.
A young baby, always moving around like he was mad with rage,
His parents couldn’t contain him, they needed a cage.
When Jameson was five, he was five feet tall,
And for Christmas that year, all he wanted was a ball.
He kicked it and threw it,
Dribbled it and maneuvered it,
Bounced it and shot it,
Spiraled it and caught it.
Collins2
Jameson was the competitive type,
When in a game, he always lived for the hype.
He dreamed of being the best,
But not just at one sport, but all the rest.
Anything that involved him holding the victor’s cup,
Kept him on his game, always in the clutch.
When he was just a youth teen, the sporting world was after him,
Not one could figure why he was so special,
Was it the work he put in, the stature he had, the killer instinct he showed?
Or was it that a god made him to be always a professional, a man among boys.
People also argued that he was the god of sports,
Because he never had an off game, he was 100%.
By fifteen, Jameson was the best athlete in the world,
None could beat him, few could play alongside him.
This, only the beginning of Jameson’s long reign in his kingdom of sports.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Conceited Metaphor
Cam Collins
Conceited Metaphor
Maddox
22 September 2009
Life is like an oak tree.
Birth is equivalent to a seed sprouting,
Childhood, to the bark growing taller,
Adulthood, to the branches expanding and the leaves multiplying in color,
And death, to the great tree being chopped down.
But, the life of the oak tree is not yet done,
It has its maker to visit to show off its leaves.
Life is like an oak tree, never complete,
So it starts its new life, as a new cycle, and as a different tree.
Conceited Metaphor
Maddox
22 September 2009
Life is like an oak tree.
Birth is equivalent to a seed sprouting,
Childhood, to the bark growing taller,
Adulthood, to the branches expanding and the leaves multiplying in color,
And death, to the great tree being chopped down.
But, the life of the oak tree is not yet done,
It has its maker to visit to show off its leaves.
Life is like an oak tree, never complete,
So it starts its new life, as a new cycle, and as a different tree.
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