"The Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad
Welcome to our inquiry into "The Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad. Published in 1906 and based on the author's personal diaries, the novella is narrated by Charlie Marlowe and recounts his journey up the Congo River to find an ivory trader named Kurtz. Along the way, Marlow witnesses cruelty, genocide, madness, and death. Torn between his ideals and brutal reality, Marlow must try to convey the truth to a disbelieving audience...before it is too late. Learning activities include building vocabulary, listening to the audiobook (narrated by Kenneth Brannagh), using the inquiry process to identify, analyze, and synthesize big ideas, small and large group discussions, identifying and applying a variety of literary criticism, and essay writing.
Vocabulary and tone exercise: Complete to get a sense of the language and tone of the novella.
Vocabulary and tone exercise: Complete to get a sense of the language and tone of the novella.
Click below to view background on the story and central issues.
Click below to open the close reading essay instructions and rubric.
Refer to the following pages in the Senior Style Guide during this unit and while writing your essay:
Click on the links below to view student exemplar essays.
Additional Resources for "The Heart of Darkness"
There are several types of critics who have approached the novella by Joseph Conrad. Please click the links to the PowerPoints below for additional information about each type of critic.
Reader Response Critic
Psychoanalytical Critic
Post-Colonial Critic
Feminist Critic
- Steps in the Writing Process (2)
- Bloom's Revised Taxonomy (3-5)
- How to Construct a "Classic" 5 paragraph Essay (6-8)
- Introductions and Conclusions (9-10)
- Transition words (11-12)
- Blending Quotations (13)
- Embedded References (14)
- Works Cited (15)
- Rhetorical Devices (18-20)
- Tone (21-22)
Click on the links below to view student exemplar essays.
Additional Resources for "The Heart of Darkness"
There are several types of critics who have approached the novella by Joseph Conrad. Please click the links to the PowerPoints below for additional information about each type of critic.
Reader Response Critic
Psychoanalytical Critic
Post-Colonial Critic
Feminist Critic