Goodbye Mr. Barbarian

Ok, So I honestly have no idea how to access JSTOR from my house, so I didn't read the article by Douglas Kerr (possible related to Steve Kerr? the worst thing ever to happen to Suns Basketball). I will read it tomorrow at school, so for now I'll simply write this blog on my own comparisons between Waiting for the Barbarians and Heart of Darkness. Who needs scholarly articles anyway when you have the analysis of one Alex Beller?

I guess the best place to start would be the titles. We can run down the checklist. Are both ominous? yes. Are both mysterious? yes. Are both sexual? ehh, not really. The mystery which can be percieved from the names of the two works of fiction is what i believe to be their main commonality. In Waiting for the Barbarians, citizens of the Empire associate the Barbarians with mystery. From this mystery stems fear, which brings the citizenry together (hating a common enemy). But, we have, um, what is the saying? beat the dead horse? Something like that. The point is that we have covered extensively in class how in Waiting for the Barbarians fear is used as a tool of unification.

In Heart of Darkness however, the mystery of Africa does not scare the European nations. Single europeans in Africa would be scared of the mysetry and forboding of the place, but at large, their society was not threatened as the Empire's was by the Barbarians. Europeans did not hate the African people, they were apathetic, secure in the future of their wealth and prosperity.

I hope i'm not being ambiguous, even though I'm sure that I am. Here is my point succinctly: in both Waiting for the Barbarians and Heart of Darkness mystery is a central theme. In Barbarians, it is seen as a motivator on a macro scale, while in Heart of Darkness mystery is something that Marlow experiences in his adventures. Get it?

I'll add in a few more paragraphs once I read that article.
Solid Semester Mr Coon, thanks for everything.

Beller Out.
Peace.