Heart of Darkness”, the representation of female characters is inadequate. This can be directly linked to the concept of the idealistic woman in European society, as the common view of women in the 19th century was that they belonged to the inferior sex. The men, generally European, were seen as explorers and colonizers. Women, on the other hand, were housewives and could never measure up to a man's status in society. Joseph Conrad describes only three main women in his novel: Marlow's aunt, Kurtz's mistress, and Kurtz's fiancée. These characters, limited in their descriptions, are meant to represent the commonly perceived and stereotypical positions of women in society, that is: the aunt, the mistress and the faithful fiancée. Conrad's limited representation of women in his novel is criticized in Jeremy Hawthorn's The Women of Heart of Darkness, in which he argues that gender issues are closely linked to issues of race and culture. He supports his claim by stating that “it is European men who are sent to Africa to promote the aims of imperialism; but we see European women – unaware of what their men are actually doing for imperialism – offering them powerful ideological support. This shows that Destiny and Aunt are representations of idealism. They are represented as simple housewives cut off from the reality of horror in Africa. However, Kurtz's mistress witnesses imperialism. The ideology of imperialism is the practice of forcibly extending the authority of one nation over the territory, political system, or economic life of another country. European men practiced imperialism and focused their attention on Africa in the 19th century. The fact that Conrad decided not to... middle of paper ... and experiences the reality to which the other two female characters are not subjected. Overall, Jeremy Hawthorn's argument is evident in the three main female roles. He argues that a person's gender is closely linked to issues of race and culture. Marlow's aunt is a racist woman and believes that Africans should be stripped of their culture and forced to learn the European way. The African Mistress is a strong, passionate woman who cares about the well-being of her culture. It represents the life of Congo in relation to its appearance and its characteristics. In contrast, the target is a sickly woman who thinks so highly of her beloved Kurtz that anything negative said about him could destroy her. The three women played minor roles, but their gender allowed Conrad to be able to convey the issues of their different races and their very opposing cultures..

Essay / Heart of Darkness”, the representation of female characters is inadequate. This can be directly linked to the concept of the idealistic woman in European society, as the common view of women in the 19th century was that they belonged to the inferior sex. The men, generally European, were seen as explorers and colonizers. Women, on the other hand, were housewives and could never measure up to a man's status in society. Joseph Conrad describes only three main women in his novel: Marlow's aunt, Kurtz's mistress, and Kurtz's fiancée. These characters, limited in their descriptions, are meant to represent the commonly perceived and stereotypical positions of women in society, that is: the aunt, the mistress and the faithful fiancée. Conrad's limited representation of women in his novel is criticized in Jeremy Hawthorn's The Women of Heart of Darkness, in which he argues that gender issues are closely linked to issues of race and culture. He supports his claim by stating that “it is European men who are sent to Africa to promote the aims of imperialism; but we see European women – unaware of what their men are actually doing for imperialism – offering them powerful ideological support. This shows that Destiny and Aunt are representations of idealism. They are represented as simple housewives cut off from the reality of horror in Africa. However, Kurtz's mistress witnesses imperialism. The ideology of imperialism is the practice of forcibly extending the authority of one nation over the territory, political system, or economic life of another country. European men practiced imperialism and focused their attention on Africa in the 19th century. The fact that Conrad decided not to... middle of paper ... and experiences the reality to which the other two female characters are not subjected. Overall, Jeremy Hawthorn's argument is evident in the three main female roles. He argues that a person's gender is closely linked to issues of race and culture. Marlow's aunt is a racist woman and believes that Africans should be stripped of their culture and forced to learn the European way. The African Mistress is a strong, passionate woman who cares about the well-being of her culture. It represents the life of Congo in relation to its appearance and its characteristics. In contrast, the target is a sickly woman who thinks so highly of her beloved Kurtz that anything negative said about him could destroy her. The three women played minor roles, but their gender allowed Conrad to be able to convey the issues of their different races and their very opposing cultures..

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