...of Marlow’s feeling of being exposed to a new world that he does not belong to. Marlow is transferred to a different world and tries to understand the unfamiliarity of Africa. In describing, “the earth seemed unearthly”, Marlow expresses that this place is unfamiliar to him; therefore, he feels like a stranger here. It also shows the first contradiction in the passage; the paradoxical meaning between “earth” and “unearthly” represents his confusion between his past and his presence, between the reality and the unreality. Marlow states that as time passes by he gets used to "the shackled form of a conquered monster", which relates to the old image of many natives having to follow the orders of white man. At the same time, these native people are also "monstrous and free”. These two strong adjectives show that Marlow no longer feel safe here. This also gives an emergent tone for the passage, giving the readers the danger of going on a voyage to a new land and facing strange people. As Marlow feels that he will face new experiences, he uses such adjectives as “horrid”, “ugly”, or “inhuman” in order to reveal his feelings of alienation. Races are also one of the main themes in this passage. By using the world “ugly, remote”, Marlow implies that the natives are not of familiar to him. Toward the end of the passage, he uses the adjectives “thick”, and “treacherous” in order to describe the water. The water is portrayed to be dangerous and shallow; the engine is compared with the word...
Words: 476 - Pages: 2
...without a joint’. This line conveys to the reader the boat and crews current location, it being the Thames, but also where they are going. This is stated by the words ‘The sea-reach of the Thames stretched before us like the beginning of an interminable waterway’, telling the reader that they are using it as a waterway, a passage to the sea, and then ocean. This is further conveyed by the fact Conrad writes “the seas and sky were welded together without a joint’. When you see the sea and sky appear to join together, it means you are looking into the horizon. Often, people look into the horizon on the start of a long journey, in anticipation of the new experiences they are going to face, so this line could indicate his excitement he now holds, because of what he will see. Secondly, throughout this opening passage, there is a constant theme of exploration. Firstly, the sheer fact they are on a ‘cruising yawl’ indicates that they are going to explore foreign lands, as ships were the form of travel of choice in that time, especially as planes were not really operational, so the most convenient way to cross the seas would have been a ship. Later on in the passage, Joseph Conrad writes ‘The tidal current runs to and fro in its unceasing service, crowded with memories of men and ships it had borne to the rest or to the battles of the sea. It had known and served all the men of...
Words: 969 - Pages: 4
...of the Triangular Trade on Africa Citizens around the world know little history regarding slavery and slave trade despite the fact that slaves were African Americans who not only worked for free but were treated terribly, many individuals lack the knowledge of how slavery was originated and greatly impacted regions of the world. The Triangular trade was a trading method established by the Europeans hundreds of years ago. It’s referred to as the Triangular Trade because it consists of trade with Africa, America, and Europe creating a triangular route of trade. This system was developed to fulfill the needs of each country and to become industrialized. The Triangular Trade caused extreme complication and effected Africa in numerous ways. On the first leg of the trip European merchants went to Africa to trade their household goods in return for a desired number of slaves, Then shipped the slaves to America on what was known was the Middle Passage where they were sold for cash and bought tobacco, rum, sugar and cotton back to Europe where these products were sold for outstanding profits. This trading method was very successful because African Americans already practiced slavery in Africa and America was in high demand for laborers to work the sugar cane plantations and make profit trading the finished product to Europe. “The Middle Passage was the stage of the triangular trade in which millions of people from Africa were shipped to the New World...
Words: 1106 - Pages: 5
...fought for can be seen and embraced in African art itself. African art consist of shrines, wood carving, and in my biased; different ceremonies, or what one held or thought to be true can be considered as a form of art in itself. African art was sometimes from those of low status or ranking who would create some of the most beautiful art sculptures and pieces by hand however; this work would be made the property of some wealthy individuals, who would then use the art to enhance ones’ own authority. Since the beginning of time Africa has been called mother Africa because of her many contributions that she has given to this world. Africa is the world’s second largest continent, stretching near 8,000 kilometers from South Africa to Egypt. Africa has birthed the indigenous people as well as the ancient Kush, and civilizations that have impacted the past as well as the present. The essence of Africa and what she contains continues to inspire and uplift humanity. Africa was once a culturally enriched continent hat once consisted of many deities and sacred buildings, before colonization took place. Gods and goddesses were once seen as serving their role, catering to the first people who were harmonious with planet earth. The African eye saw things from a holistic view; where everything including the trees, insects, the elements of the earth, were all embraced and intertwined together, no one or no-thing were deemed as purposeless. The mind, body, and spirit was viewed as a whole, this helped...
Words: 1651 - Pages: 7
...sell in Europe and increasing the numbers of African slaves brought to the New World. This was crucial to those European countries which, in the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, were vying with each other to create overseas empires. The evolution of slavery is crucial to understanding the importance of currently standing issues. Slavery began in 1440 when Portugal started to trade slaves with West Africa. The first Africans imported to the English colonies were also called “indentured servants” or “apprentices for life”. By the middle of the sixteenth century, they and their offspring were legally the property of their owners. As property, they were merchandise or units of labor, and were sold at markets with other goods and services. By the 17th century, Western Europeans developed an organized system of trading slaves. However, the slave trade did not run as smoothly as expected. Slaves were revolting and tried to flee the hardships of labor. Regardless of these attempts slavery expanded, leading to the "Triangle Trade." This trade, between Europe, Africa and the Americas, is held responsible for the dispersal of Africans in the Western hemisphere. This organized system lasted until the 1800's. Shortly after...
Words: 1550 - Pages: 7
...was kidnapped into slavery. However, with the story of Olaudah Equiano comes a question. Was Equiano an African who merely wanted to share his life’s story or was he born in South Carolina and wrote this as a calculated attempt to “increase the odium against the West India planters?” as Vincent Carretta states. If the first presumption is correct, then all is well and the story can be revered as a highly respected expositional work of history. Although, if the second is correct, then this calls into question Equiano’s right to play the victim in representing the slaves who suffered through the Middle Passage. The answer to this highly debated question lies in the accuracy of his details, the historical validity of his stories, and the fact that pro-slavery writers are the source of the original doubt. In his autobiography, Olaudah Equiano describes his experience of the Middle Passage with many details. For example, one of the most notable details he notes of the slave ship was the horrible stench that reeked from the lower deck. Equiano writes, “I was soon put down under the decks, and there I received such a...
Words: 669 - Pages: 3
...The "Middle Passage” was the stage of the triangular trade in which millions of people from Africa were shipped to the New World, as part of the Atlantic slave trade. Ships departed Europe for African markets with manufactured goods, which were traded for purchased or kidnapped Africans, who were transported across the Atlantic as slaves; the slaves were then sold or traded for raw materials, which would be transported back to Europe to complete the voyage. The journey of slave trading ships was from the west coast of Africa, where the slaves were obtained, across the Atlantic, where they were sold or, in some cases, traded for goods such as molasses, which was used in the making of rum. However, this voyage has come to be remembered for much more than simply the transport and sale of slaves. The Middle Passage was the longest, hardest, most dangerous, and also most horrific part of the journey of the slave ships. With extremely tightly packed loads of human cargo that stank and carried both infectious disease and death, the ships would travel east to west across the Atlantic on a miserable voyage lasting at least five weeks, and sometimes as long as three months. Although incredibly profitable for both its participants and their investing backers, the terrible Middle Passage has come to represent the ultimate in human misery and suffering. The abominable and inhuman conditions which the Africans were faced with on their voyage clearly display the great evil of the slave trade...
Words: 662 - Pages: 3
...Rites of Passage: The Making of an Adult Coleen Adams ANT 101 Professor Cohen October 14, 2013 Throughout the world, every culture has introduced their own versions of the “Rites of Passage”. The coming of age when you pass from being a child into adulthood. Some rites are as simple as a dance or the painting of faces, while others are as extreme as forceful circumcision and sleeping with other men’s wives. Regardless of the circumstances, it’s never easy becoming a grown-up. As a part of the Western Culture, we seldom observe, have knowledge of or understand the uniqueness of participating in a Rite of Passage. We are exposed to the “American” versions of the Bar Mitzvah, Quinceanera’s and the Vision Quest of the American Indian, while not acknowledging our own that we take for granted daily. Whether its following in our parents or siblings footsteps, getting a driver’s license or receiving a family heirloom passed down from generation to generation. Some people believe that you don’t become an adult until your parents pass away. In actuality, all are forms of a Rite of Passage. While researching this particular topic in the Ashford Library, there were wonderful examples of what the Rites of Passage has endured throughout the centuries. Coupling this with information from the local library, one can cross reference articles, journals, books and government databases (which regretfully are not functioning because of the government shutdown) in depth. By cross...
Words: 783 - Pages: 4
...Coal mining in South Africa plays a significant role in the country’s economy as it is responsible for nearly three quarters of Eskom’s fuel supply. The industry is also responsible for supplying the coal-to-liquids (CTL) industry, developed by the South African fuel company, SASOL, who produces around 35% of the country’s liquid fuel. It is centered on the Highveld, with roughly 60% of the country’s deposits located in eMalahleni (Witbank) and surrounding areas. The largest coal deposits in South Africa are to be found in the Ecca Group. The Ecca Group covers around two thirds of South Africa and contains more than a third of all coal reserves in the Southern Hemisphere. Some coal fields in South Africa are Waterberg, Highveld, Witbank, Ermelo, Utrecht and Klip River Coal fields. South Africa makes extensive use of coal for electricity generation in its domestic economy as well as exporting approximately 28% of its coal production, mainly through the Richards Bay Coal Terminal, making South Africa the fourth-largest coal exporting country in the world. By international standards, South Africa's coal deposits are relatively shallow with thick seams, which make them easier and usually cheaper to mine. There has been a decline in high-quality reserves in recent years resulting in an increased political and industrial push for the application of technical advances to extend the life of major coal deposits. There are 2 processes in how coal is mined, namely: surface mining and...
Words: 545 - Pages: 3
...significant impacts on the course of history. Some of these speeches have not only shaped the United States of America, but also other countries around the globe. Barack Obama, 44th president of the United States, and Nelson Mandela, first president of South Africa, have been noted for particularly noteworthy inaugural speeches. They both use similar styles of rhetoric, such as use of repetition and allusion. The election of Barack Obama in 2008 marked a turning point in American history. With the election of the first black president, it was a signal America was moving in the right direction towards equality and away from racial prejudices of the past. As a result of his election, American people...
Words: 1050 - Pages: 5
...The Plantation Sugar – The New Age The sole cash crop that crushed the exportation of cotton and tobacco and reigned in the Caribbean for the next two hundred (200) years was sugar. Dutch colonists in Brazil were the 1st to grow sugar extensively. They then taught the English, in Barbados, ways of cultivation and manufacture in 1644 and soon “sugar was king”. By 1650, Barbados was the primary sugar-producer and was known as “the brightest jewel in the crown of King Charles II”. Other French colonies soon followed Barbados. The Sugar Revolution Definition Sugar Revolution – drastic change from producing a variety of crops to sugar cane ONLY. Implications of the Sugar Revolution/ Changes brought about by the Sugar Revolution: a) New Methods of producing sugar – The English and French began inventing new and better ways of processing sugar cane. b) The Labour Force – Planting and processing sugar cane required extensive labour force. The planters wanted work to be done using the cheapest labour force, which in the end, would mean greater profits for them when the sugar was sold. Thus, an increasing number of African slaves were used. c) Increase in the price of Land: Great sugar plantations developed by buying the small plots of land that were used to cultivate tobacco. As sugar became more profitable, the demand for land increased, which caused the price of land to increase. d) Change in governance – As the English French and Dutch colonies...
Words: 1472 - Pages: 6
...life of a slave in the West Coast of Africa Slavery was a time when people were treated unfairly and inhuman. Millions of innocent men, women, and children were held captive and died during this time. Slavery started in Africa but it became popular in the West Coast of Africa, where slavery was taking place at its fullest. Even though slavery in Africa was a common way of life for the people that lived there, it was not until the British came to the West Coast is when slavery became an economic interest, and was based on the trade and selling of slaves. Slavery had no age or gender. There were men, women and children and many members of their families that were taken into slavery. Men and young boys were mostly traded off to be sold during the middle passage. They were traded and sold to work in the in sugar “plantations in the Caribbean Brazil and Louisiana” (p. 107, Abina and the important men) were in need of strong healthy men and that were able to bear the harsh conditions of labor. Even though there were healthy young men and others who were young, these slaves were not lasting more than 7 years. They would die, after they died they would soon be replaced by others slaves. During the middle passage, there was an estimation of about 12.5 million Africans sold to be transferred and shipped to the Americas and other regions where labor was in high demand. This transfer and sale of slaves was taking place in the West Coast of Africa, there was an estimation of 74,000 people...
Words: 1347 - Pages: 6
...The Triangular Trade was the fundamental foundation of the development of the United States. However, this historical milestone did not develop overnight, it actually took centuries to excel past the African slave trade. Additionally, America, Europe, and Africa would not be the same without the three hundreds years of trading internationally. Thus, the Triangular Trade was the building blocks of our nation, economically affected the world, and ultimately impacted racial issues we are having in today’s society. The Triangular Trade process was distinctive yet straightforward, specifically the exchange of goods and slaves. The Triangular Trade was a three-sided international exchange of goods involving Europe to Africa, Africa to the Americas, and the Americas to Europe. The first leg was European ships sailing to Africa carrying iron commodity, textiles, rum, guns, ammunition, and manufactured goods in exchange for spices, gold, and most importantly slaves. The second leg involved ships sailing to the Americas voyaging through the route primarily known as the Middle Passage carrying the slave’s required to work on plantations in exchange for goods. A slave explains the ghastly conditions of the middle passage first-hand as, “This produced copious perspirations, so that the air soon became unfit for respiration, from a...
Words: 733 - Pages: 3
...came together – they were known as the Grand Alliance – to face the enemy that they all had in common. Although through issues, such as differing ideologies and previous tension a mistrust between Stalin and his allies emerged. The passages suggest that Stalin was both justified and justified to be suspicious of his allies. No definitive conclusion can be draw as to Stalin was justified in his distrust as the evidence does not solely point in one direction. Therefore it would be wrong to assume that this view is either justified or not due to a lot of contradicting evidence. In Passage A, Wolfson stresses the importance of taking a long time to prepare even a moderately sized invasion force to take on the German counterparts. He described it as the ‘most elaborate invasion plan ever’ and gave examples of special equipment, such as artificial harbour and the PLUTO system, that would first have to be organised even before an initial invasion began to take shape. An exceedingly large number of air crafts and ships would have to prepared and assembled before the invasion could take place. Wolfson stresses how it was the best equipped and largest military force than had been seen and therefore the preparations would take a long time. On the other hand Passage C offers an alternative view to the situation at the time. In 1942 Russia lost an extortionate amount of people through just a single battle – more than the total American casualties for the entirety of the Second World War. Lightbody...
Words: 451 - Pages: 2
...went on the voyage with Cook. During his journey, he sailed from England, to Brazil, past Cape Horn, and to Tahiti. Cape Horn is the tip of South Africa. He stayed there for months, to study more about the "Transit Of Venus". He started sailing again, and found the society islands. Cook sailed to New Zealand, on October 6, 1769. His crew members got in a argument with the oldest colonist of New Zealand called the "Maori". He mapped out the two very important islands. The strait between these two islands is now called "Cook Strait". Cook sailed his ship called the "Endeavor" and mapped out the eastern coast of Australia. The "Endeavor" was partly damaged by coral, for a day and almost sank in "The Great Barrier Reef". In Northern Queensland, Australia, they started repairing their ship and finally finished on August 6, 1770.Cook sailed through the strait between Australia and New Guinea. He stopped at Batavia Java in October 1770. Around 30 members of his crew died of malaria which is a disease that is from mosquitoes. Cook had to replace a few crew members in south Africa. On July 13, 1771, Cook returned home, back to England after a voyage for almost three years. October 27,1728-February 14, 1779. Captain Cooks second journey was to Antarctica. He was the first person to sail across the Antarctic circle. He sailed to south Africa,...
Words: 624 - Pages: 3
