Analyse the symbolic meaning(s) of the cross

The two main characters, the Belgian agents Kayerts and Carlier, who lived a life of failure, have been send to an useless station in the Belgian Colony Congo. The station where Kayerts and Carlier worked was a checkpoint for the trade of ivory and slaves.
Near the station was a tall cross "much out of the perpendicular"(p.10,l.17) put up by the director of the station over the first agent's grave, who died of fever.
First of all the cross is a very important icon of the Christendom. But neither Kayerts and Carlier nor Makola, who believes in "evil spirits" (p.10,l.1), are Christians. That is the reason why the cross is not a religious icon in this story.
At the time of the European imperialism many people came to Africa, who exploited the black people, oppressed and killed them.
Also Missionairies came to help but as well to convince the black people about the Christendom but the cross is also not an icon of the missionairies.
The cross of the station has the symbolic meaning of failure and death.
On one hand of failure because the two Belgian were useless as the whole station, "look at this two imbeciles.They must be mad at home to send me such specimens'', (p.11,l.55-56). Both failed in their former life and both have not the power and the intelligence to manage the station.
On the other hand it is a symbolic meaning for death because it was put up over the first agent's grave but the most important fact is that Kayerts committed suicide after he has killed his assistant Carlier because of a conflict about sugar in a hopelessness period at the station. Kayerts committed suicide by "hanging himself by a leather strap from the cross'' (p.37,l.41).
Kayerts and Carlier came to this station to work as agents but their life ended at the cross near the useless land.

Sophia

1 comments:

Captain Cook hat gesagt…

So isn't there a special meaning in the fact that Conrad lets Kayers commit suicide (which is a sin according to the Christian faith) by hanging himself from the cross? I also think that the cross is a symbol for Western colonial society - the way Kayers and Carlier behave is very Un-Christian in many ways.
Still you presented a thesis and defended it - that is the way to go! Some Language problems (negation! don't!!!)

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