Abortion: The Opposing Views. (:

http://www.opposingviews.com/questions/should-abortion-be-legal 

www.opposingviews.com/topics/abortion 

Highlighted Document (:

Hidden Evils

By: Ana Jimenez

In the novels “Things Fall Apart” and “Heart of Darkness,” readers can see that colonization flourishes at the native peoples expense, close-minded European views perpetuate and ultimately condone racism in these nations, and that evil is a driving and yet, sometimes ignored force. When reading, individuals can infer what is truly going on in these books; the author’s point of view in both books state that everything began to go downhill since the Europeans decided to settle in Africa.

Throughout the novel “Things Fall Apart,” the reader can infer that there is a sense of evil. Evil is a hard concept to define. The dictionary defines it as, “morally bad; wicked.” But is the definition of evil really that simple to be defined in just a few words? One would say that there is more to defining evil that just a few words. Evil can be defined by a culture. If a person were to study different cultures around the world, they would discover that each culture has their own way of defining evil. But one’s personal definition seems to have the most impact on what someone thinks is evil.

Different cultures have their own way of defining evil for their own residents. Europeans who visited the Igbo tribe viewed most of their customs that they practiced as “evil” or “primitive.” One of concepts of the Igbo tribe was the “Evil Forest.”  It was something the village had and “in it were buried all those who died of the really evil diseases, like leprosy and smallpox.” (pg. 148) Another custom that the tribe had was that if a woman has children, and each dies under “evil circumstances,” then she is under attack by evil spirits. To solve this problem, they “let her not sleep in her hut. Let her go and stay with her people. In that way she will elude her wicked tormentor and break its evil cycle of birth and death.” (pg. 77) A custom practiced by the clan is the killing of twin babies after they are born. The Europeans that came to Africa viewed all these customs as being evil.

The natives saw the European culture and their religion as invasive. Some of the natives converted to Christianity, but “there were still many who saw these new institutions as evil.” (pg. 183) The people of the Igbo tribe found many of the European customs to be the complete opposite of their own, and viewed their customs as evil as well. In some more recent times, there were many nations that viewed each other as evil. For a long time, the United States and the Soviet Union viewed each other as evil. The United States saw the Soviet Union as a nation without freedom; the people were not free. They saw that as them being evil. On the other hand, the Soviet Union saw the U.S as a capitalist nation where greed consumed them. The American’s view on the Soviet Union reached its highpoint when President Reagan called them the “Evil Empire.” Both of their views were valid, but are they really evil? What the Africans and Europeans doing evil as well? Or is the concept of evil defined only by a single individual?

The most influential definition of evil is the one a person creates for him or her self. What really makes the word “evil” an indefinable concept is that I can be defined is so many different ways. Most people’s definitions of evil comes from the religion they practice and the values they hold.

            Although “Things Fall Apart” made the reader realize all the evils that flourish in different cultures, Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” also gives a clear description of different evils. In Conrad’s book, it says, “that everyone has within oneself vulnerability, fragility, weakness, and strong fear of being deviated from the essentials norms and values.” (pg. 102) Individuals go through their day-to-day lives with evils that they face, but they are hidden. These evils become threatening and they can claim a person’s life in a way. For example, greed, the lust for power, and prosperity is invisibly hidden in the innermost part of someone’s life. In the moment, an individual is not aware of how threatening it could be to their life, but once they enter the atmosphere of temptation, a person surrenders to the temptations of evil if they have no intentions of preventing it. In the novel, there is a unique and genius European named Kurtz. 

            Kurtz is a civilized European, as described in the novel. He is well mannered and a very respected man. Once he lands on the soil of the Congo, the “evils” within him start to show themselves. His civilized self becomes barbaric and he starts to say, “Exterminate all the brutes.” (pg. 108) Kurtz evils cropped up on him and thrived through the whole book. He became so sexual that he forgot about his girlfriend and began doing things with African women. It seems the Kurtz evils started to reveal themselves by leaps and bounds as he became in touch with the “evil atmosphere” of the Congo. Like Kurtz, Marlow also portrayed signs of his own “evils.” In the novel, Marlow says, "He has to live in the midst of the incomprehensible, which is also detestable. And it has a fascination, too, that goes to work upon him. The fascination of the abomination - you know, imagine the growing regrets, the longing to escape, the powerless disgust, the surrender, the hate." He is describing man’s hate of the unknown and the incomprehensible. However, this unknown world has a certain dark attraction, the “fascination of the abomination" as Marlow calls it. Man, Marlow claims, is drawn like a magnet to that what he does not understand and may grow to hate. The novel declares that by exploring the outer world of evil, the explorer happens to explore his own inner world of evil. Therefore, Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is an exploration of evil.

            With all the ways that evil can be defined, what is the real definition of evil? Culture, politics, and individuals all offer their own different definitions. It seems like the only way for a person to understand and define evil is to take the cultural/religious definitions and create their own definition that fits their own unique perspective of the world. If you take the word evil, and spell it backwards, you get the word “live.” The debate on the definition of evil seems to boil down to one simple thing. It’s just a matter of perspective and to really experience “evil,” you must first live through it.

Works Cited Page 

Achebe, Chinua. An African Voice Katie Bacon. 2 August 2000.

—. The Opinion Pages. 16 January 2011. 25 February 2012 <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/opinion/16achebe.html?_r=4&pagewanted=all>.

—. Things Fall Apart. New York: First Anchor Books, 1994.

Boyd, Clark. 'Blood Cell Phones' Fuel War, Crime, and Human Rights Abuses. 30 July 2010. 24 February 2012 <http://news.discovery.com/tech/blood-cell-phones-fuel-war-crime-and-human-rights-abuses.html>.

Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness and the Secret Sharer. New York: Signet Classic, 1997.

—. Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer. New York: Signet Classic, 1997.

Deresiewicz, William. Solitude and Leadership. October 2009. 25 February 2012 <http://theamericanscholar.org/solitude-and-leadership/>.

King Leopold II. 11 Septemeber 2011. 25 February 2012 <http://www.moreorless.au.com/killers/leopold.html>.

Liukkonen, Petri. Chinua Achebe (1930-). 2008. 25 February 2012 <http://kirjasto.sci.fi/achebe.htm>.

—. Joseph Conrad (1857-1924). 2008. 25 February 2012 <http://kirjasto.sci.fi/jconrad.htm>.

Things Fall Apart & Heart of Darkness Paper (:

Hidden Evils

By: Ana Jimenez

In the novels “Things Fall Apart” and “Heart of Darkness,” readers can see that colonization flourishes at the native peoples expense, close-minded European views perpetuate and ultimately condone racism in these nations, and that evil is a driving and yet, sometimes ignored force. When reading, individuals can infer what is truly going on in these books; the author’s point of view in both books state that everything began to go downhill since the Europeans decided to settle in Africa.

Throughout the novel “Things Fall Apart,” the reader can infer that there is a sense of evil. Evil is a hard concept to define. The dictionary defines it as, “morally bad; wicked.” But is the definition of evil really that simple to be defined in just a few words? One would say that there is more to defining evil that just a few words. Evil can be defined by a culture. If a person were to study different cultures around the world, they would discover that each culture has their own way of defining evil. But one’s personal definition seems to have the most impact on what someone thinks is evil.

Different cultures have their own way of defining evil for their own residents. Europeans who visited the Igbo tribe viewed most of their customs that they practiced as “evil” or “primitive.” One of concepts of the Igbo tribe was the “Evil Forest.”  It was something the village had and “in it were buried all those who died of the really evil diseases, like leprosy and smallpox.” (pg. 148) Another custom that the tribe had was that if a woman has children, and each dies under “evil circumstances,” then she is under attack by evil spirits. To solve this problem, they “let her not sleep in her hut. Let her go and stay with her people. In that way she will elude her wicked tormentor and break its evil cycle of birth and death.” (pg. 77) A custom practiced by the clan is the killing of twin babies after they are born. The Europeans that came to Africa viewed all these customs as being evil.

The natives saw the European culture and their religion as invasive. Some of the natives converted to Christianity, but “there were still many who saw these new institutions as evil.” (pg. 183) The people of the Igbo tribe found many of the European customs to be the complete opposite of their own, and viewed their customs as evil as well. In some more recent times, there were many nations that viewed each other as evil. For a long time, the United States and the Soviet Union viewed each other as evil. The United States saw the Soviet Union as a nation without freedom; the people were not free. They saw that as them being evil. On the other hand, the Soviet Union saw the U.S as a capitalist nation where greed consumed them. The American’s view on the Soviet Union reached its highpoint when President Reagan called them the “Evil Empire.” Both of their views were valid, but are they really evil? What the Africans and Europeans doing evil as well? Or is the concept of evil defined only by a single individual?

The most influential definition of evil is the one a person creates for him or her self. What really makes the word “evil” an indefinable concept is that I can be defined is so many different ways. Most people’s definitions of evil comes from the religion they practice and the values they hold.

            Although “Things Fall Apart” made the reader realize all the evils that flourish in different cultures, Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” also gives a clear description of different evils. In Conrad’s book, it says, “that everyone has within oneself vulnerability, fragility, weakness, and strong fear of being deviated from the essentials norms and values.” (pg. 102) Individuals go through their day-to-day lives with evils that they face, but they are hidden. These evils become threatening and they can claim a person’s life in a way. For example, greed, the lust for power, and prosperity is invisibly hidden in the innermost part of someone’s life. In the moment, an individual is not aware of how threatening it could be to their life, but once they enter the atmosphere of temptation, a person surrenders to the temptations of evil if they have no intentions of preventing it. In the novel, there is a unique and genius European named Kurtz. 

            Kurtz is a civilized European, as described in the novel. He is well mannered and a very respected man. Once he lands on the soil of the Congo, the “evils” within him start to show themselves. Hiss civilized self becomes barbaric and he starts to say, “Exterminate all the brutes.” (pg. 108) Kurtz evils cropped up on him and thrived through the whole book. He became so sexual that he forgot about his girlfriend and began doing things with African women. It seems the Kurtz evils started to reveal themselves by leaps and bounds as he became in touch with the “evil atmosphere” of the Congo. Like Kurtz, Marlow also portrayed signs of his own “evils.” In the novel, Marlow says, "He has to live in the midst of the incomprehensible, which is also detestable. And it has a fascination, too, that goes to work upon him. The fascination of the abomination - you know, imagine the growing regrets, the longing to escape, the powerless disgust, the surrender, the hate." He is describing man’s hate of the unknown and the incomprehensible. However, this unknown world has a certain dark attraction, the “fascination of the abomination" as Marlow calls it. Man, Marlow claims, is drawn like a magnet to that what he does not understand and may grow to hate. The novel declares that by exploring the outer world of evil, the explorer happens to explore his own inner world of evil. Therefore, Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is an exploration of evil.

            With all the ways that evil can be defined, what is the real definition of evil? Culture, politics, and individuals all offer their own different definitions. It seems like the only way for a person to understand and define evil is to take the cultural/religious definitions and create their own definition that fits their own unique perspective of the world. If you take the word evil, and spell it backwards, you get the word “live.” The debate on the definition of evil seems to boil down to one simple thing. It’s just a matter of perspective and to really experience “evil,” you must first live through it. 

Works Cited Page (:

1.) Discovery Education. Great Books: Heart of Darkness. 2000. 15 February 2012 <http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=13F4324B-3DB1-44D9-9B15-D48F13ACA069&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=US >.
2.) Alexander, Lynn M. Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness (1902). August 1999. 15 February 2012 <http://www.utm.edu/staff/lalexand/brnovel/heart.htm >.

3.) Berlanga, Irene Navarro. Themes and Structures of Heart of Darkness. 1999. 15 February 2012 <http://mural.uv.es/inaber/hod.htm>.

4.) Achebe, Chinua. Chinua Achebe: 'An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness'. 1977. 15 February 2012 <http://johnlknight.com/achebe/ >.

—. Things Fall Apart. First Anchor Books Edition. New York: Anchor Books, 1994.

Video: Questions and Answers. (:

1.     How was Joseph Conrad's life similar to Marlow’s?

a.      Conrad is like Marlow because they were both british seaman. He felt colonization was noble, and his duty, like Marlow.  Marlow and Conrad were both interested in sailing.  They both were involved with travel and the sea at a young age.  Conrad was a captain of a small ship, like Marlow, and guided a steamboat into Africa.

2.     What were the historical forces that drove the ivory trade in the Congo?

a.    The Europeans have been taking the Africans as slaves for many, many years. When African slave trade slowed and stopped, trade turned to ivory and rubber.  Leopold II of Belgian colonized the Congo.   Christians felt it their duty to civilize the Africans.  

3.     In what way did Apocalypse Now imitate Heart of Darkness?

a.     The movie took ideas from the book and applied to the scene of the Vietnam War.  They both displayed the overpowering of a native people, and destruction and dismay.  

Solitude and Leadership and Lt. Col. Daniel L. Davis (:

The Definition of a Leader

          In the U.S, we are in great need of having better leaders.  William Deresiewicz thinks that the US has “a crisis of leadership… in every institution”.  Lt. Col. Daniel L. Davis is one example of the type of leader this country needs.  He is not top brass, and does not have a high political status; however, Davis is headstrong and rises above the status quo.   He felt something was amiss, and stood behind his accusations.  Davis has the knowledge and heart of a true leader.

            The current leaders that we have now in the United States are people who gave a high status.  These men and women tend to manipulate their abilities of leadership by various means.  Intentions of change are not among their goals.  These leaders simply want to be the king of the hill, or in this case the best leaders of the nation.  Real, talented leaders are pushed aside by the fight for power:

Because excellence isn’t usually what gets you up the greasy pole. What gets you up is a talent for maneuvering. Kissing up to the people above you, kicking down to the people below you. Pleasing your teachers, pleasing your superiors, picking a powerful mentor and riding his coattails until it’s time to stab him in the back. Jumping through hoops. Getting along by going along. Being whatever other people want you to be, so that it finally comes to seem that, like the manager of the Central Station, you have nothing inside you at all. Not taking stupid risks like trying to change how things are done or question why they’re done. Just keeping the routine going.

Leaders seemed to be defined by their ability to climb the status pole.  Davis is turning against this mode of thinking, and showing the nation that real leaders can be successful.

            I think that the United States has a crisis of leadership because of wealth and power.  If these ideals were let go, and new leadership moved in, the nation would be better as a whole.  Men and women like Davis will turn the country around.  This nation needs people who can think:

People who can think for themselves. People who can formulate a new direction: for the country, for a corporation or a college, for the Army—a new way of doing things, a new way of looking at things. People, in other words, with vision.

Davis’ actions display his great qualities as a leader, as well as a thinker.  He thought his motives through, researched, and did what he knew was right to support his argument.  As a true leader, he turned to his thoughts before formulating his vision.

            Strong leaders drive this country.  They think and act for themselves with the best interest of the nation in mind.  Status and power does not matter because their initiative to attain their vision is great. Lt. Col. Daniel L. Davis is a great example of the many-needed leader the U.S. needs.  His passion for standing up for what he feels is right is inspiring, and gives the nation hopes in finding great leaders.

How does Achebe describe Conrad as a writer?

Achebe's critique called, "Image of Africa" describes Achebe's dislike of Conrad's novel; however, he feels the latter is a great writer.  Conrad is a marvelous storyteller, drawing in the audience.  Achebe fears this talent will lead to a world that views Africans as Conrad does.

               The novel Heart of Darkness is a great example of Conrad’s work.  Achebe does not speak ill of Conrad’s writing skills, but he cannot stand Conrad’s racist image of Africans.  Achebe says, “Conrad, on the other hand, is undoubtedly one of the great stylists of modern fiction.”  Achebe admires Conrad’s writing skills, but strongly dislikes the image he depicts of Africans.

Poetry Out Loud Poem (:

Adam’s CurseBy William Butler Yeats

We sat together at one summer’s end,

That beautiful mild woman, your close friend,   

And you and I, and talked of poetry.

I said, ‘A line will take us hours maybe;

Yet if it does not seem a moment’s thought,   

Our stitching and unstitching has been naught.   

Better go down upon your marrow-bones   

And scrub a kitchen pavement, or break stones   

Like an old pauper, in all kinds of weather;   

For to articulate sweet sounds together

Is to work harder than all these, and yet   

Be thought an idler by the noisy set

Of bankers, schoolmasters, and clergymen   

The martyrs call the world.’

                                          And thereupon

That beautiful mild woman for whose sake   

There’s many a one shall find out all heartache   

On finding that her voice is sweet and low   

Replied, ‘To be born woman is to know—

Although they do not talk of it at school—

That we must labour to be beautiful.’

I said, ‘It’s certain there is no fine thing   

Since Adam’s fall but needs much labouring.

There have been lovers who thought love should be   

So much compounded of high courtesy   

That they would sigh and quote with learned looks   

Precedents out of beautiful old books;   

Yet now it seems an idle trade enough.’

We sat grown quiet at the name of love;   

We saw the last embers of daylight die,   

And in the trembling blue-green of the sky   

A moon, worn as if it had been a shell   

Washed by time’s waters as they rose and fell   

About the stars and broke in days and years.

I had a thought for no one’s but your ears:   

That you were beautiful, and that I strove   

To love you in the old high way of love;

That it had all seemed happy, and yet we’d grown   

As weary-hearted as that hollow moon.

How does Achebe's presentation of Africa in "Things Fall Apart," differ from what you know of Conrad's presentation? (:

The novel Things Fall Apart differs a lot from the book Heart of Darkness.  Having yet to start the latter novel, it is possible to say that Achebe’s story presents a more in depth, equal view of the customs and beliefs of Africa.  Conrad’s novel appears to be narrow-minded and one-sided.  Both novels present very different views, but while one is fair, the other is cruel.

            In Achebe's critique, Heart of Darkness gives the reader a horrible view of the customs of Africa.  They are cannibals, and are savage in everything they do.  Africans are viewed as ignorant, despite any education they receive.  According to Achebe, Africans in Heart of Darkness made “‘a violent babble of uncouth sounds,’” and “‘exchanged short grunting phases’”.  In Things Fall Apart, Africans are presented like a group of settled people, with their own beliefs, traditions, and laws.

           Both of these novels are different and each present a very different view of Africa.  The former presents a fair view, comparing practices between the world and Africa.  The latter offers a cruel view, degrading the differences between cultures of Africa and Europeans.  

What does Achebe say about Conrad's views of the "kinship" between Europe and Africa, between Europeans and Africans? (:

  In the critique, Achebe believes Conrad’s views of “kinship” between Europe and Africa, as well as Africans and Europeans, is narrow-minded.  Actually, Achebe believes Heart of Darkness presents a very racist image of Africa.  Conrad’s novel upheld the Europeans as innocent, good-intentioned people, while Africans were described as savage and dumb.

           All through the "Image of Africa," descriptions of the novel give readers an idea of how Conrad unfairly illustrates Africans.  Achebe is disgusted when an African pronounces, “‘Mistah Kurtz- he dead’”.  Conrad does allow relationships to develop between Mr. Kurtz and the Africans, but the kinship seen between Europeans could never cultivate between Africans and Europeans.  Relationships of the latter are very teacher/pupil and Achebe believes Conrad is presenting an unfair assessment of the possibility of budding relationships between different cultures.

What does Achebe say about Conrad's portrayal of good and evil? (:

The critique “Image of Africa,” the author Achebe describes Conrad’s portrayal of good and evil as racist, and one-sided.  He feels the story of Mr. Kurtz’ journey through Africa presents a dishonest view of the Africans as evil.  Heart of Darkness seems to portray the difference between good and evil as the veil that separates the cultures of Europe and Africa.

            In the critique, Achebe describes how Conrad seemed obsessed with the Africans’ behavior, customs, and appearances.  Achebe depicts, “‘A black figure stood up, strode on long black legs, waving long black arms . . ..’ as though we might expect a black figure striding along on black legs to wave white arms!”  Conrad is portraying African’s as evil simply because their culture clashes with that of others.  Achebe believes Conrad’s view is racist, and wrong.  Good and evil cannot be defined as the difference between cultural practices.