that Heart of Darkness is even more intertextual than she had previously imagined. Whether intentional or not, Conrad includes some references that heightens his own brilliant writing. His famous novella - seriously, he packs the punch in just 77 pages - is a frame narrative, with the life of one central character relayed by a sailor named Marlowe to a group, including an unnamed narrator who is relaying it all to the audience. This layered narrative creates a powerful sense of uncertainty and ambiguity that is as central to this book as its plot - perhaps even more so.
Anyway, that's not what she learned, what she discovered today is the book's possible connection to another famed, framed-narrative. The first line, the first two words of the novella, indicate the ship on which the story is being relayed is called "[t]he Nellie." Nelly just happens to be the name of one of the main narrators in Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, and, infamously, one of the most unreliable narrators in pre-1900 English literature. Coincidence? She likes to think in literature, there is no such thing.*
* See "Tradition and the Individual Talent" by TS Eliot. [I think, to an extant, the literary tradition bleeds into each new generation of authors.]
You're brilliant; this is brilliant! And this is so true!: "This layered narrative creates a powerful sense of uncertainty and ambiguity that is as central to this book as its plot."
ReplyDeleteAlso, the whole "Nellie" thing, really?! Crazy! *mind blown*
AND speaking of Heart of Darkness, if you haven't already, you really should watch Apocalypse Now. I would love to watch it with you and see what you think. So far, I think it is one of my favorite adaptations ever (which is why I would love to see what you think). :)