Joseph Conrad

adaptation by Cristina Gioli
 Heart of Darkness (1899) tells the story of Charles Marlow, a sailor who takes on the job of steamboat captain with a Belgian ivory trading company in the African interior. The novel is a strong critique of European colonial rule in Africa, implicitly commenting on imperialism and racism. It also examines the themes of evil, power and morality, mainly through the central fictional character, Kurtz, a cruel, charismatic ivory trader and commander of a trading post. The native Africans see him as a demigod, so he manages to collect huge quantities of ivory and sets up a reign of terror in the darkness of the African jungle. The reader is enriched with inserts about the main themes and symbols of this novel.
 
 Teacher's Resources available online: Answer Key - Audioscripts - Summing-up Activities 
 
 Heart of Darkness racconta la storia di Marlow, capitano di un battello a vapore di una compagnia commerciale belga nel cuore dell’Africa. Il romanzo è una forte critica al colonialismo e tratta di imperialismo e razzismo. Il male, il potere e l’etica sono esaminati attraverso il personaggio centrale, Kurtz. Questi è il comandante di una stazione di commercio di avorio, che instaura un regno del terrore nelle oscure tenebre della giungla africana.

Chapter 1 – The unnamed Sailor’s narrative

Extension: Colonialism

Chapter 2 – Getting nearer

Extension: Belgian colonisation of the Congo

Chapter 3 – Along the Great River

Extension: The White Man’s mission

Chapter 4 – The Harlequin

Extension: Marlow’s journey

Chapter 5 – The horror! The horror!

Extension: Features, themes and symbols

Picture gallery

Summing-up activities

Glossary

The unnamed Sailor s narrative Chapter BEFORE READING 1 1 The story you are going to read is set in Africa in the late 1890s, in what is now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Use the Internet to look for the following information: a. What was the name of the country when Heart of Darkness was published (1899)? b. Was it an independent state? c. Who dominated it? d. When did it become a Belgian colony? e. When did it acquire independence? 2 Why do you think the Europeans of the period were interested in the Congo? Choose the correct option. a. To exploit its raw materials. b. To export their manufactured goods. c. To import Congolese manufactured goods. 3 Most of the story develops along the Congo River. Look at the following picture of it and say what its form reminds you of. a. A snake; b. A bird; c. A head The Congo River 6 

Heart of Darkness The unnamed Sailor s narrative Chapter 1 The Nellie, the sailing boat we were in, turned on its anchor1 and was finally still. We were close to the mouth of the Thames and were supposed to go down the river, but the tide2 was rising and there was no favourable wind. There was nothing to do but wait for the low tide to push us out to sea. An immense expanse3 of water stretched before us. In the distance, the sea and sky were fused together, while the sails of many boats seemed like red-pointed rocks rising from the sea. A thin fog covered the low shores and the air was dark above Gravesend4. Behind us it seemed even thicker, like a heavy, funereal cloak over the biggest   and greatest   town on earth5. With me on the ship was the Director of Companies, who was our captain and our host. The four of us looked at him affectionately while he checked that the anchor was in the correct position. We felt united by the sea; it held our hearts together through long periods of separation and made us tolerant of each other. Then there was the Lawyer   the best of men   who, because of his old age and his many virtues, was sitting on the only cushion on deck. The others were the Accountant, who had already brought out a box of dominoes6 and Marlow, who was sitting cross-legged7, leaning against a mast8. He had a thin face, yellow skin, a straight back and a serious look. In that position, with his arms at his sides and the palms of his hands upwards, he looked like a pagan god. When the Director came to sit among us, we lazily exchanged a few words and then there was silence for a while. For some reason, 1. anchor: a heavy metal object attached to a chain, which is thrown to the bottom of the sea in order to prevent a boat or ship from moving. 2. tide: the rise and fall of the sea, which happens twice a day. 3. expanse: a large area of sea or land. 4. Gravesend: a small town, on the right bank of the river Thames. 5. It refers to London. 6. dominoes: small rectangular objects used for playing games. 7. cross-legged: sitting with your feet crossed over each other. 8. mast: one of the poles that support the sails on a ship. 7 1 

Narrativa inglese, livello B2 intermedio. Il romanzo di Konrad è una forte critica al colonialismo e tratta di imperialismo e razzismo.

Heart of Darkness - Collana RAINBOWS

Level B2 • Intermediate - Collana RAINBOWS

Heart of Darkness

Flowbooks è una piattaforma di distribuzione dedicata al mondo della scuola e dell'università.  Con questa piattaforma di distribuzione, il team di sviluppo Flowbooks  si impegna a soddisfare le esigenze degli utenti digitali, rendendo l'utilizzo accessibile e piacevole.  Entra nella tua area di interesse!

Edisco è una Casa editrice indipendente che opera prevalentemente nel settore educativo.

Edisco

Flowbooks è innovazione didattica a portata di click