Psychoanalytic Reflections on Phallocentrism and Colonialism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness

This article discusses revelations of patriarchal along with colonial discourse and practice as poignantly adumbrated to coalesce and interact in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. In this respect, the misogynistic representation of female characters who are sketched as insubstantial mystified stereotypes in a heterosexist men’s world constitutes an important aspect of the narrative. Besides, the connotative depiction of the river – characterized by an antagonistic aura ascribable to the hinted juxtaposition of the Congo and the Thames – as a symbolically evocative topographical element encourages keen reflection. Last but not least, the implication of language as an influential instrument serving to the endorsement of colonialist as well as patriarchal causes is worth exploring from a psychoanalytic perspective featured by feminist sensitivity. Članek obravnava razkritja patriarhalnega ter kolonialnega diskurza in prakse, ki se na pronicljiv način združujejo in medsebojno delujejo v Temnem srcu Josepha Conrada. V tem pogledu je pomemben vidik pripovedi mizoginistična reprezentacija ženskih likov, ki so v heteroseksističnem moškem svetu zarisani kot nepomembni mistificirani stereotipi. Poleg tega konotativna upodobitev reke - za katero je značilna antagonistična aura, ki jo je mogoče pripisati nakazani primerjavi Konga in Temze - kot simbolno sugestivnega topografskega elementa spodbuja k pozornemu razmisleku. Nenazadnje je treba s psihoanalitične perspektive, ki jo odlikuje feministična senzibilnost, raziskati pomen jezika kot vplivnega instrumenta, ki podpira tako kolonialistične kot patriarhalne cilje.