Heart of Darkness

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 5

Heart of Darkness

Heart of Darkness

Joseph Conrad

Literature lesson by Ties, Amina & Elaine

General info

1. 5 Havo
2. Post-reading activity
3. Teacher's goal.  

1. Level

2. Where in time.

3. The book is considered racist by renowned Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe, who famously called Heart of Darkness “an offensive and deplorable book.” Despite this critique, the novel carries historical and cultural significance, particularly through its symbolism and exploration of imperialism. Thanks to Achebe's influence, the book now prompts awareness of how racism manifests not only in obvious ways but also in its more subtle and insidious forms—both in literature and, perhaps, in life itself.

Last week

1. Finished reading Heart of Darkness 
2. Work in groups of 4 - the river, the jungle, darkness and ivory.
3. Homework: Create poster and bring to class.

1. Students should have finished the book by now.

2. Look for symbolism in the book related to the river the jungle darkness and Ivory.

3. Choose one of the words and create a poster with pictures ( collage) and quotes in the book of which you think describes one of these words as a symbol. 

Today:

1. Set up posters
2. 4 - rounds, 7 min per exhibit. 
3. Write in your notebook  
4. After 30 min, get together and exchange info (5 min.).
5. Share with the class (5min) 

Learning outcomes:

  

1. Explain the significance of symbolism in this novel.

2. Articulate informed opinions using textual evidence.

3. Be aware how racism plays a big part in this book.

Today:

1. set up posters for interactive walkthrough. 
2. 4 - rounds, 5 min per exhibit. 
3. Write down in your notebook (M) words that symbolise the exhibit.
4. after 20-min, get together with your group and exchange info (5 min.).

1. Make sure you have at least something   if a few students "forgot" their homework. 

2. look at the pictures in the posters and try to figure out what symbols are depicted.
3. students take notes.

4. discuss in your group what you have written down per exhibit and why.

5. fill in the word cloud with one word per slide per group.

The river

The jungle

Darkness

Ivory

Students have written in their notebook and exchanged information. They have discussed which terms are the best description for the terms on the board. 

The river

word cloud with hopefully many overlapping words. This way the students find common understanding about the book and otherwise get a grasp of what the book entails through the symbolism.  

The jungle

word cloud with hopefully many overlapping words. This way the students find common understanding about the book and otherwise get a grasp of what the book entails through the symbolism.  

Darkness

word cloud with hopefully many overlapping words. This way the students find common understanding about the book and otherwise get a grasp of what the book entails through the symbolism.  

Ivory

word cloud with hopefully many overlapping words. This way the students find common understanding about the book and otherwise get a grasp of what the book entails through the symbolism.  

Artwork from NYTimes that depicts significant elements in the book and its impact on society. 

• Chinua Achebe criticized Conrad because he showed Africa as a wild, uncivilized, and chaotic place. In Heart of Darkness, Africa is used only as a setting for the European characters’ problems. Achebe believed this view made Africans seem less human and treated them as unimportant extras in the story. 

• Achebe noted that Conrad often used insulting words like “savages” and “cannibals” to describe Africans. He also criticized how Conrad compared Africa’s “darkness” to Europe’s “light,” which made Africa seem bad and Europe good.

• Obama agreed with Achebe’s criticism of the racism in Heart of Darkness, but he also believed this didn’t take away from the book’s deeper themes. He suggested that while Achebe was right about the Eurocentric bias, the novel could still be seen as a powerful reflection on human nature and the effects of imperialism

Write your opinion

• Claim: Use at least one of the symbols from your notebook.
• Proof: Use at least 3 quotations from the book.
• Explain: Support your statement by explaining 

Claim: Write your opinion about Heart of Darkness 

Proof: Use quotes from the book. Make sure to write down the page number

Explain: Support your statement. With textual evidence. 

Further Exploration

• Things Fall Apart                                        - Chinua Achebe
• Dreams from My Father                          - Barack Obama
• Dear Martin                                                   - Nic Stone
• Black-ish                                                        - Prime series
• Grown-ish                                                      - Prime series
• Apocalypse Now                                         - Francis F. Coppola film

• Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart challenges the Eurocentric portrayal of Africa by presenting a nuanced and authentic depiction of Igbo society before and during colonial intrusion.
• Obama's search for his biracial identity by tracing the lives of his now-deceased father and his extended family in Kenya.
• A Novel about a Black teenager navigating systemic racism and societal injustice, as he writes letters to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to process his struggles and search for guidance.
• A family man struggles to gain a sense of cultural identity while raising his kids in a predominantly white, upper-middle-class neighborhood.
• The spin off about the oldest daughter going to college and trying to navigate college life.
• Apocalypse Now  a 1979 American epic war film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The screenplay, is loosely inspired by the 1899 novella Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.