The Congo as topos of dystopic transgression in fin-de-siècle literature
| Autor: | Sarah De Mul |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | Afrikaans<br />English<br />French<br />Dutch; Flemish |
| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Tydskrif vir Letterkunde, Vol 46, Iss 1 (2017) |
| Druh dokumentu: | article |
| ISSN: | 0041-476X 2309-9070 57388229 |
| Popis: | In this essay, I compare the representation of the Congo as a topos of dystopic transgression in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness (1902), and in a lesser-known novel entitled Tropenwee (Tropical agony) by the Dutch author Henri van Booven, published in 1904. The idea of the Congo as a locus of degeneration will be read, not so much as a Conradian theme, but rather, as an idea that had gained wide currency throughout Europe during the fin-de-siècle period. Particular attention will be paid to some of the narrative techniques that shape this idea and the ideological assumptions it conveys. Moreover, I hope to show that degeneration as reflected by the writings under investigation is at once a colonial and anti-colonial theme, and therefore its significance requires moving beyond singular and clear-cut ideological labels. Key words: degeneration, colonialism, fin-de-siècle literature, Joseph Conrad, Henri van Booven. |
| Databáze: | Directory of Open Access Journals |
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