The Idea of Sovereignty

HEART OF DARKNESS/ APOCALYPSE NOW

The idea of sovereignty and its inherent societal values defines a national identity. Historical analysis suggests that the desire for external influence and ideological enlightenment formed the basis for the colonial/ imperialistic expressionism. The ideals and values of the dominant powers reflected both on their domestic context and foreign policies, creating angst and dislocation for the subverted. Both Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now represent a range of literary and filmic techniques which show the ideals, values and context of the colonialism of the UK, and the imperialism of the USA.

The ideals, values and contexts of different texts are conveyed using a range of different textual structures. Conrad’s Heart of Darkness uses a framed first person recount of Marlow’s quest up the Congo River, whilst Coppola’s Apocalypse Now uses a narrative voice over to recollect Willard’s story of journey into Cambodia during the Vietnam War. The different narrative structures used by Conrad and Coppola provide the responder with an opportunity to delve into the personal anguish and conflict experienced by both protagonists. Whilst framed first person omniscient narratives allow a multi character perspective, Willard’s voice over extends the knowledge of the audience and creates a sense of justification for his inner thoughts and external actions. The structure of both texts allows the responder to decipher the ideals, values and contexts portrayed by the use of a range of literary and filmic techniques.

The contextual integrity and titles of texts indicates their inherent ideals and values. The metaphoric titles of both texts suggests that conrad and coppola had pessimistic views of the ideals and values which underpinned their respective societies. Whilst the “Scramble for Africa” and the desire for colonialism into “darkest Africa”, the negative connotations of both human