Transformation in Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now Essay -- Movie

Transformation in Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now Since Francis Ford Coppolas Apocalypse Now was based on Joseph Conrads novel, Heart of Darkness, it is potential to draw many parallels between the two works. Both can be interpreted as metaphors for a journey through the inner self, and each has its give particular message to convey. In many ways they also appear to have similarities to Arthurian Legend, in particular the quest for the holy grail, and other repre displaceative journey narratives. The sum of the experiences of the protagonists, Marlow in Heart of Darkness and Willard in Apocalypse Now, reveal to them how the horrors and effects of war or conquest, can lead some nation to madness, while other persons may discover the light and find absolute truth. Traveling on a river is often used as a type for a journey of self-discovery in numerous literary works. For example, in works such as Dantes Inferno and Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, the protagonists journey d own the River Styx, and the Mississippi, one by one encounter many challenges which provide them with opportunities to reach an understanding of themselves. In Heart of Darkness Marlow accepts his quest to journey up the long and dangerous Congo River to guide ivory from Kurtzs Inner Station back to the Outer Station. In Apocalypse Now Benjamin Willard who began as a special military recruit is sent on a mission up the Nung River to exterminate with extreme prejudice, (Apocalypse Now) Kurtz. In each work the protagonists witness and endure unspeakable hostilities along their journeys and in rank to survive and accomplish their ultimate goals, both push themselves beyond their physical, spiritual, and mental limits to the point o... ...ard takes the role of a father and leads a young military out-of-door from the jungle, and Marlow returns to the pristine waters of the ocean. Works Cited Conrad, Joseph. Apocalypse Now. New York Norton and Company, Inc. ,1988. Heart of Darkn ess. Dir. Francis Ford Coppola. with Marlon Brandon, Robert Duvall, and Martin Sheen. Paramount, 2000. Topic Heart of Darkness vs Apocalypse Now. http//grassroots.mediacentre.com/csdsescalb1/unit5/heart_vs_apocalypse.htm. (19 May 2002). Baxter, Gisle. Notes on Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness. The G.M. Baxter Page. 28 October, 1999. http//www.interchange.ubc.ca/gmb/conrad.html. (20 May 2002). Krall, Aaron, Aimee Lanoue, and Matthew Pavesich. What is the Heart of Darkness? http//www.stfrancis.edu/en/student/kurtzweb/darkness.htm. (19 May 2002).