Seeking the Sources of Heart of Darkness: the African Narratives of late-Victorian Explorers and Journalists
This paper begins by briefly outlining the argument that Heart of Darkness should be read as something like a palimpsest – a palimpsest is, of course, a medieval document scribed onto parchment that has previously been inscribed with other texts and still bears their traces. It argues that Heart of...
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| Publicado en: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/coma, |
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| Formato: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Idioma: | Anglais |
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Continents manuscrits
2018
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| Acceso en liña: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
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openedition-oai:revues.org:coma_2694 |
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openedition-oai:revues.org:coma_2694 https://doi.org/10.4000/coma.2694 urn:doi:10.4000/coma.2694 en https://journals.openedition.org/coma/2694 2018-10-16T02:00:00Z info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess article info:eu-repo/semantics/article urn:handle:20.500.13089/e6rz https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Seeking the Sources of Heart of Darkness: the African Narratives of late-Victorian Explorers and Journalists Continents manuscrits Institut des textes & manuscrits modernes (ITEM) info:eu-repo/semantics/reference/issn/2275-1742 URI:https://journals.openedition.org/coma Griffiths, Andrew Congo Joseph Conrad Henry Morton Stanley R.B. Cunninghame Graham Exploration Empire Imperialism Palimpsest Heart of Darkness Chinua Achebe Edward Said David Livingstone Mary Kingsley This paper begins by briefly outlining the argument that Heart of Darkness should be read as something like a palimpsest – a palimpsest is, of course, a medieval document scribed onto parchment that has previously been inscribed with other texts and still bears their traces. It argues that Heart of Darkness dramatizes various acts of writing or representation that are later effaced and overwritten or rewritten. In doing this, the novella continually gestures beyond itself to source material that too has been effaced and rewritten. The paper then takes an archaeological approach, exploring just what that source material might be and how its traces are legible in Heart of Darkness. Henry Morton Stanley’s exploration narratives are identified as significant sources, which Conrad seeks to efface and overwrite. The paper further argues that debates running in British journalism through the 1890s, which Conrad discussed in correspondence with R.B. Cunninghame Graham, shaped the tone and atmosphere of the text. Finally, the paper outlines the possible relationship of Heart of Darkness to the wider field of writing on African travel and exploration. Cet article commence en arguant brièvement qu’il conviendrait de lire Au Cœur des ténèbres comme une sorte de palimpseste (un parchemin médiéval sur lequel d’autres textes ont préalablement été écrits, et qui en porte encore la trace). Il postule qu’Au Cœur des ténèbres met en œuvre différents actes d’écriture ou de représentation qui sont par la suite effacés, réécrits, ou recouverts d’autres écritures. Ce faisant, la novella renvoie continument au-delà d’elle-même vers les sources qui ont été effacées et réécrites. L’article opte alors pour une approche archéologique en explorant les sources pour découvrir ce qu’elles pourraient bien être et déterminer la façon dont leurs traces sont lisibles dans Au Cœur des ténèbres. Les récits d’exploration d’Henry Morton Stanley sont identifiés comme des sources significatives, que Conrad cherche à effacer, en écrivant par-dessus. L’article défend ensuite l’idée que les débats qui animèrent le journalisme britannique au cours des années 1890 – dont Conrad s’est entretenu dans sa correspondance avec R.B. Cunninghame Graham – ont façonné la tonalité et l’atmosphère du texte. Enfin, il expose la façon dont Au Cœur des ténèbres s’inscrit dans un champ plus large des écrits de voyage et d’exploration en Afrique. |
| collection |
OpenEdition Journal |
| language |
Anglais |
| format |
Article ou chapitre numérique |
| building |
0/Bibliothèque numérique/ 1/Bibliothèque numérique/OpenEdition Journals/ |
| topic |
Congo Joseph Conrad Henry Morton Stanley R.B. Cunninghame Graham Exploration Empire Imperialism Palimpsest Heart of Darkness Chinua Achebe Edward Said David Livingstone Mary Kingsley |
| spellingShingle |
Congo Joseph Conrad Henry Morton Stanley R.B. Cunninghame Graham Exploration Empire Imperialism Palimpsest Heart of Darkness Chinua Achebe Edward Said David Livingstone Mary Kingsley Griffiths, Andrew Seeking the Sources of Heart of Darkness: the African Narratives of late-Victorian Explorers and Journalists |
| description |
This paper begins by briefly outlining the argument that Heart of Darkness should be read as something like a palimpsest – a palimpsest is, of course, a medieval document scribed onto parchment that has previously been inscribed with other texts and still bears their traces. It argues that Heart of Darkness dramatizes various acts of writing or representation that are later effaced and overwritten or rewritten. In doing this, the novella continually gestures beyond itself to source material that too has been effaced and rewritten. The paper then takes an archaeological approach, exploring just what that source material might be and how its traces are legible in Heart of Darkness. Henry Morton Stanley’s exploration narratives are identified as significant sources, which Conrad seeks to efface and overwrite. The paper further argues that debates running in British journalism through the 1890s, which Conrad discussed in correspondence with R.B. Cunninghame Graham, shaped the tone and atmosphere of the text. Finally, the paper outlines the possible relationship of Heart of Darkness to the wider field of writing on African travel and exploration. |
| author |
Griffiths, Andrew |
| author_facet |
Griffiths, Andrew |
| author_sort |
Griffiths, Andrew |
| title |
Seeking the Sources of Heart of Darkness: the African Narratives of late-Victorian Explorers and Journalists |
| title_short |
Seeking the Sources of Heart of Darkness: the African Narratives of late-Victorian Explorers and Journalists |
| title_full |
Seeking the Sources of Heart of Darkness: the African Narratives of late-Victorian Explorers and Journalists |
| title_fullStr |
Seeking the Sources of Heart of Darkness: the African Narratives of late-Victorian Explorers and Journalists |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Seeking the Sources of Heart of Darkness: the African Narratives of late-Victorian Explorers and Journalists |
| title_sort |
seeking the sources of heart of darkness: the african narratives of late-victorian explorers and journalists |
| publisher |
Continents manuscrits |
| publishDate |
2018 |
| container_title |
URI:https://journals.openedition.org/coma |
| url |
https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://doi.org/10.4000/coma.2694 https://ezproxy.univ-orleans.fr/login?url=https://journals.openedition.org/coma/2694 |
| _version_ |
1877241880495783936 |