Heart of Heart of DarknessDarkness

First ImpressionsFirst Impressions

Look at the image below.Look at the image below.What is your initial response What is your initial response

to the image and why?to the image and why?

What do you think is being What do you think is being depicted in the image?depicted in the image?

What is your response now and why?

In what ways do the details make sense in the context of the picture as a whole?

In what ways did looking too closely at In what ways did looking too closely at only a part of the image get in the way only a part of the image get in the way of you being able to understand what of you being able to understand what

the image looks like?the image looks like?

In what ways In what ways would a would a

photograph of the photograph of the scene depicted in scene depicted in the painting be the painting be

different? In other different? In other words, how might words, how might the experience/ the experience/

response change if response change if you were to have you were to have

looked at a looked at a photograph of the photograph of the

scene that the scene that the painter was painter was

looking at when he looking at when he created his work?created his work?

““About the middle of the nineteenth century the About the middle of the nineteenth century the French painters Manet, Monet, Degas, Renoir, and French painters Manet, Monet, Degas, Renoir, and

others revolted from the conventional and academic others revolted from the conventional and academic conceptions of painting and held that it was more conceptions of painting and held that it was more

important to retain the impressions an object makesimportant to retain the impressions an object makes

Georges Seurat – Clothes on the Grass

on the artist on the artist than than

meticulously to meticulously to present the present the

appearance of appearance of that object by that object by precise detail precise detail and careful, and careful,

realistic finish. . . realistic finish. . . They suggested They suggested the features of the features of

an object with a an object with a few strokes; they few strokes; they

were more were more interested in interested in ATMOSPHEREATMOSPHERE

Renoir – Rising Path Through High Grass

than in perspective than in perspective or outline. or outline. ‘‘Instead Instead of painting a tree,of painting a tree,’’

says Lewis says Lewis Mumford, the Mumford, the impressionist impressionist

‘‘painted the effect painted the effect of a tree.of a tree.’’ The The

movement had its movement had its counterpart in counterpart in

literature, writers literature, writers accepting the same accepting the same

conviction that conviction that personal attitudes personal attitudes and moods of the and moods of the

writer were writer were legitimate elements legitimate elements

in exploring in exploring character or setting character or setting

or action.or action.Degas – Bathers on the Grass

Briefly, the literary Briefly, the literary impressionistimpressionist holds holds that the expression that the expression of such elements of such elements as these through as these through

the fleeting the fleeting impression of a impression of a moment is more moment is more

significant significant artistically than a artistically than a

photographic photographic presentation of presentation of

cold fact.cold fact.Monet – Luncheon on the Grass

The object of The object of the the

impressionist, impressionist, then, is not to then, is not to

present his present his material as it is material as it is to the objective to the objective observer but as observer but as it is it is seenseen or or feltfelt to be by himself to be by himself

in a single in a single passing passing

moment.moment.””- C. Hugh Holman, - C. Hugh Holman, A A

Handbook to LiteratureHandbook to LiteraturePicasso – Luncheon on the Grass

Impressionist writer characteristics:Impressionist writer characteristics:* * They use a narrative style that is intentionally They use a narrative style that is intentionally ambiguousambiguous,, placing more placing more

responsibility on the reader to form his or her conclusions about events within responsibility on the reader to form his or her conclusions about events within the novel, rather than relying on the narrator.the novel, rather than relying on the narrator.

Manet – Luncheon on the Grass

* They often describe * They often describe the action through the action through

the eyes of the the eyes of the character character while the while the

events are events are occurringoccurring, rather , rather

than providing details than providing details afterafter the character the character

has already has already processed the action. processed the action.

The result is The result is sometimes like being sometimes like being

in an accident – in an accident – where everything where everything

appears to be moving appears to be moving in slow motion. All of in slow motion. All of

the details seem the details seem unclear.unclear.

* They* They’’re concerned with the re concerned with the ““emotional emotional landscapelandscape”” of the setting. Theyof the setting. They’’re interested re interested in ways the setting evokes certain emotional in ways the setting evokes certain emotional responses from both the character and the responses from both the character and the

reader.reader.

* They employ details in such a way that it* They employ details in such a way that it’’s s sometimes difficult to see a clear picture of events sometimes difficult to see a clear picture of events if you focus on the details too closely. Much like an if you focus on the details too closely. Much like an impressionistic painting, itimpressionistic painting, it’’s only possible to get a s only possible to get a full picture once you full picture once you stand backstand back from the novel from the novel

and view it in its entirety.and view it in its entirety.

* They often * They often avoid a avoid a

chronological chronological telling of events. telling of events.

Instead, they Instead, they give the reader give the reader information in a information in a way that forces way that forces

them to focus on them to focus on how and why how and why

things happenthings happen rather than on rather than on

the order in the order in which they which they

occur.occur.

“I saw a face amongst the leaves on the level with my own, looking at me very fierce and steady; and then suddenly, as though a veil had been removed from my eyes, I made out, deep in the tangled gloom, naked breasts, arms, legs, glaring eyes – the bush was swarming with human limbs in movement, glistening, of bronze colour. The twigs shook, swayed, and rustled, the arrows flew out of them, and then the shutter came to.”

The following passage from Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness reflects the impressionist style of writing:

“I saw a face amongst the leaves on the level with my own, looking at me very fierce and steady; and then suddenly, as though a veil had been removed from my eyes, I made out, deep in the tangled gloom, naked breasts, arms, legs, glaring eyes – the bush was swarming with human limbs in movement, glistening, of bronze colour. The twigs shook, swayed, and rustled, the arrows flew out of them, and then the shutter came to.”Notice how Conrad’s narrator reports things as they are happening, before he’s had a chance to process the information. Notice also the attentionto color and movement. It’s

interesting to note that at this point, the speaker is actually under attack. Yet it takes him a few more lines before he realizes this, further enhancing the sense

that the reader is experiencing the attack with the narrator.

Joseph Conrad

ItIt’’s important to s important to note here that note here that authors donauthors don’’t t subscribesubscribe to a to a

particular school particular school and then write and then write according to a according to a set of rules or set of rules or

standards.standards.

Pissaro – Woman Picking Grass

ItIt’’s generally critics who come along later s generally critics who come along later and notice trends between various artistsand notice trends between various artists

Pissaro – Woman Picking Grass

who then place who then place the artists in the the artists in the

various various categories.categories.

To get a better idea of what an To get a better idea of what an impressionist painting looks like, impressionist painting looks like, visit the Metropolitan Museum of visit the Metropolitan Museum of

ArtArt’’s Web site at s Web site at http://www.metmuseum.org

Pissaro – Woman Picking Grass

To get a better idea of what an impressionist To get a better idea of what an impressionist work of literature looks like, get ready to work of literature looks like, get ready to

plunge into . . .plunge into . . .

Heart of Darkness

by Joseph Conrad