Watt’s “Impressionism and Symbolism” and Brantlinger’s “Imperialism, Impressionism, and the Politics of Style”

A square is a rectangle, but a rectangle is not a square. In Watt’s essay, “Impressionism and Symbolism in the Heart of Darkness,” Watt fits Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” neatly into an Impressionist box.  While giving plenty of evidence through definitions-even quoting from the Oxford dictionary, “a semantic flow towards meanings whose status is primarily psychological” – from artists and writers of the relevant times, Watts seems to ignore that most literary techniques rely heavily on using human senses and scene descriptions and developments. (Watt 352) Watt was likely aware of this fact but failed to provide evidence to discount it.

Watt describes impressionistic writing as, “(impressionistic can only mean) describing how things look as opposed to stating what is, “really happening,” but aren’t those two the same, or will eventually be revealed as the same? In the beginning of Heart of Darkness, Marlow is telling a story, and tells it with purpose unlike typical seaman who are overly personal. “The yarns of seaman have a direct simplicity, the whole meaning of which lies within the shell of a cracked nut. But Marlow was not typical…”  (Watt 5) “I don’t want to bother you much with what happened to me personally,” he began, showing in this remark the weakness of many tellers of tales who seem so often unaware of what their audience would best like to hear;…”(Watt 7) So, what you have is an author well versed in storytelling and illustrates it through the prose of his secondary narrator, which in itself is a great idea. Marlow and Conrad are great storytellers who are, apparently, impressionist.

As far as symbolism, the theme can be seen in the story as a whole. The entire journey of Marlow to Kurtz is symbolic of life in general. Conrad consistently, “attempts to connect the literal objects of his narrative with a “larger world…” (Watt 360) Imperialism for instance, Conrad makes is clear through a conversation with a woman about his traveling to the uncivilized world to, “wean(ing) those ignorant millions from their horrid ways,” and then illustrates horrid ways of the civilized killing indigenous people indiscriminately.  The proof Conrad was a symbolist was his quote about poetry, “To name the object is to destroy three quarters of the enjoyment of the poem…” (Watt 361, Mallarme p. 869, 1945)

Fortunately or unfortunately, Patrick Brantlinger’s essay explains Conrad’s story perfectly in my opinion. He explains that Conrad’s story leaves it to the reader to define the meaning of the story, if there truly is one. “In the world of Heart of Darkness,” there are no clear answers.” (Brantlinger 387)

Watt’s “Impressionism and Symbolism” and Brantlinger’s “Imperialism, Impressionism, and the Politics of Style”

A square is a rectangle, but a rectangle is not a square. In Watt’s essay, “Impressionism and Symbolism in the Heart of Darkness,” Watt fits Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” neatly into an Impressionist box.  While giving plenty of evidence through definitions-even quoting from the Oxford dictionary, “a semantic flow towards meanings whose status is primarily psychological” – from artists and writers of the relevant times, Watts seems to ignore that most literary techniques rely heavily on using human senses and scene descriptions and developments. (Watt 352) Watt was likely aware of this fact but failed to provide evidence to discount it.

Watt describes impressionistic writing as, “(impressionistic can only mean) describing how things look as opposed to stating what is, “really happening,” but aren’t those two the same, or will eventually be revealed as the same? In the beginning of Heart of Darkness, Marlow is telling a story, and tells it with purpose unlike typical seaman who are overly personal. “The yarns of seaman have a direct simplicity, the whole meaning of which lies within the shell of a cracked nut. But Marlow was not typical…”  (Watt 5) “I don’t want to bother you much with what happened to me personally,” he began, showing in this remark the weakness of many tellers of tales who seem so often unaware of what their audience would best like to hear;…”(Watt 7) So, what you have is an author well versed in storytelling and illustrates it through the prose of his secondary narrator, which in itself is a great idea. Marlow and Conrad are great storytellers who are, apparently, impressionist.

As far as symbolism, the theme can be seen in the story as a whole. The entire journey of Marlow to Kurtz is symbolic of life in general. Conrad consistently, “attempts to connect the literal objects of his narrative with a “larger world…” (Watt 360) Imperialism for instance, Conrad makes is clear through a conversation with a woman about his traveling to the uncivilized world to, “wean(ing) those ignorant millions from their horrid ways,” and then illustrates horrid ways of the civilized killing indigenous people indiscriminately.  The proof Conrad was a symbolist was his quote about poetry, “To name the object is to destroy three quarters of the enjoyment of the poem…” (Watt 361, Mallarme p. 869, 1945)

Fortunately or unfortunately, Patrick Brantlinger’s essay explains Conrad’s story perfectly in my opinion. He explains that Conrad’s story leaves it to the reader to define the meaning of the story, if there truly is one. “In the world of Heart of Darkness,” there are no clear answers.” (Brantlinger 387)

Watt’s “Impressionism and Symbolism” and Brantlinger’s “Imperialism, Impressionism, and the Politics of Style”

A square is a rectangle, but a rectangle is not a square. In Watt’s essay, “Impressionism and Symbolism in the Heart of Darkness,” Watt fits Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” neatly into an Impressionist box.  While giving plenty of evidence through definitions-even quoting from the Oxford dictionary, “a semantic flow towards meanings whose status is primarily psychological” – from artists and writers of the relevant times, Watts seems to ignore that most literary techniques rely heavily on using human senses and scene descriptions and developments. (Watt 352) Watt was likely aware of this fact but failed to provide evidence to discount it.

Watt describes impressionistic writing as, “(impressionistic can only mean) describing how things look as opposed to stating what is, “really happening,” but aren’t those two the same, or will eventually be revealed as the same? In the beginning of Heart of Darkness, Marlow is telling a story, and tells it with purpose unlike typical seaman who are overly personal. “The yarns of seaman have a direct simplicity, the whole meaning of which lies within the shell of a cracked nut. But Marlow was not typical…”  (Watt 5) “I don’t want to bother you much with what happened to me personally,” he began, showing in this remark the weakness of many tellers of tales who seem so often unaware of what their audience would best like to hear;…”(Watt 7) So, what you have is an author well versed in storytelling and illustrates it through the prose of his secondary narrator, which in itself is a great idea. Marlow and Conrad are great storytellers who are, apparently, impressionist.

As far as symbolism, the theme can be seen in the story as a whole. The entire journey of Marlow to Kurtz is symbolic of life in general. Conrad consistently, “attempts to connect the literal objects of his narrative with a “larger world…” (Watt 360) Imperialism for instance, Conrad makes is clear through a conversation with a woman about his traveling to the uncivilized world to, “wean(ing) those ignorant millions from their horrid ways,” and then illustrates horrid ways of the civilized killing indigenous people indiscriminately.  The proof Conrad was a symbolist was his quote about poetry, “To name the object is to destroy three quarters of the enjoyment of the poem…” (Watt 361, Mallarme p. 869, 1945)

Fortunately or unfortunately, Patrick Brantlinger’s essay explains Conrad’s story perfectly in my opinion. He explains that Conrad’s story leaves it to the reader to define the meaning of the story, if there truly is one. “In the world of Heart of Darkness,” there are no clear answers.” (Brantlinger 387)

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