The Quest Motif in the Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and in Le Regard du Roi (The Radiance of the King) by Camara Laye

概要

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This essay will compare the quest motif as expressed by the two protagonists of Heart of Darkness and Le Regard du Roi (The Radiance of the King). Both novels are set in Africa and the main characters are Westerners with differing kinds of prejudice toward Africans and non-European cultures. Both protagonists undergo moral and spiritual transformations through their experiences in Africa, coming to reassess their attitudes toward non-Western cultures and the nature of evil in the world. In different ways, both characters evolve into higher states of awareness through their experiences in Africa. This essay traces the stages they experience in their quest for knowledge and redemption. Although Christian, Islamic and native cultural values are alluded to in these novels, it should be clear that these are blended together in unique ways, especially by Camara, so the correspondences are of a broad symbolic nature and not specific to the numerous nuances of diverse Christian sects.
2010-04-01