Change of Mind: Heart of Darkness

I began to read this novel with a negative attitude, similarly to many other of my classmates. Its daunting reputation set me up for disaster with this book. And as I read each page and gathered more information, I got more and more lost and confused. I had no idea what was happening even though I struggled through every word of the text. My reading quiz grade reflected what was happening, and if I had any intention of passing the test, I knew something had to change.

After an extremely low F and a few difficult nights of reading, I realized that our class discussions were the answer to my problems. Sentences and words with no meaning were brought to light and the true meanings and themes were discovered. The novel is now easier to understand and I am able to appreciate all that it offers.

This just goes to show the power of your peers and the thoughts of others. When you share your confusions with others, as we did in our small groups, one often finds others in the same situation. As cliche as it sounds, two heads are truly better than one.

Sure, discussions may be long and somewhat boring at times. But their is lots of value to them. Simply let yourself sit back and listen as the powerful ideas of this novel unfold around you. You will find that what seems nearly impossible can become understandable.

Connection: Postmodernism and the Classroom

While reading Heart of Darkness, we have discovered the effects of postmodernist thinking on the world. We know is affects our surroundings and our government, but how does it directly affect us? How are our own lives influenced by postmodernism? Sometimes it is difficult to trace the topics of our class discussions back to our own lives, and this is why this relationship is so important.

Postmodernism affects our lives in that we find elements of postmodernism in the way our classroom works. This was especially displayed in our poetry unit. While reading poems, we focus on the multiple points of view and multiple worlds. We discuss the importance of our culture and the large role it plays. We also question our position as humans with that of nature.

Thinking in a postmodern way has been all that we know. Yet as we read Heart of Darkness, we begin to see the real effects of the transition from modernism to postmodernism. Recognizing this major shift in thinking is important to us because its shows us how we have progressed. The connection between postmodernism and our classroom allows for more insight because we can actually see the methods of this way of thinking in our everyday life in something as simple as going to school.