Darkness of the Heart

“Trees, tress, millions of trees, massive, immense, running, up high; and at their foot, hugging the bank against the stream, crept the little begrimed steamboat, like a sluggish beetle crawling on the floor of a lofty portico. It made you feel very small, very lost, and yet it was not altogether depressing that feeling.” (Pg. 48)

In this quotation Marlow is describing the scenery of the African jungle, while traveling on his steam boat down the Congo river. Marlow vividly describes the raw beauty of his surroundings while also reflecting on the danger and unknown. This contrast of beauty and danger creates a powerful sense of mystery in the reader, while also revealing Marlow’s own emotions. I also believe that this quote provides evidence of an alternate meaning to the title, ‘Heart of Darkness’. Initially this title is perceived as describing mankind's journey into the heart of darkness, which is Africa. However after reading this quote I think it is clear that Africa is a place of beauty and not darkness. Whereas the traders and natives in the book seem to evolve around violence and destruction. Therefore it is in actual fact the human’s who posses the darkness and are bringing it with them into Africa. Hence the darkness referred to in the title is a darkness of the human heart and not that of Africa.

Civilized Criminals

“ And this was the place where some of the helpers had withdrawn to die. They were dying slowly - it was very clear. They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now, - nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation, lying confusedly in the greenish gloom.” (Pg. 22)

This quotation is taken from ‘Heart of Darkness’ in which the protagonist Marlow has just reached the Company’s first station and has noticed the terrible conditions in which the slaves are living. He has come across an open area of land where the slaves who have been overworked, starved, and beaten to the point where they are no longer useful, are allowed to withdraw and die. This quote is significant because it is one of Marlow’s first impressions of the African Ivory Trade. Furthermore this quotation reveals the irony behind the traders who call the slaves ‘criminals’ or ‘enemies’, and then treat these people in a manner which would be considered criminal itself. These traders have come over from Europe claiming they are able tame the wild of the Congo and civilize its people, when in actual fact they are destroying the Congo and exploiting it’s people. With descriptions and impressions like this from Marlow, the reader is quick to question who the real criminals are and if anyone can honestly be considered ‘civilized’.

Frankie Says Don't Relax

"But when you relax with too much cash in your account and no need to hustle for a buck every day, you risk extinguishing the fire in your belly that drove you to become an entrepreneur in the first place." (pg. 186)

This quote is taken from the book 'Driven' by Robert Herjavec who is referring to an important lesson he has learnt while running his most current company, 'The Herjavec Group'. He explains that one of the most common problems for entrepreneurs is insufficient capital to carry foreword and promote their ideas, however what most people don't realize is that excess capitalization can also lead to problems. Robert explains that when he first launched 'The Herjavec Group' he was already very successful and so was able to back the company with millions of dollars. This luxury of excess capital meant that Robert and his team were able to relax more than most entrepreneurs in their position and as a result were not over concerned with short-term losses. However these losses continued to rise until Robert Herjavec had lost $650,000 in total, enough to bankrupt most start-up companies. However after reassessing the company Robert concluded that the excess capitalization he was providing had created a relaxed atmosphere in his company which now lacked the drive and commitment of a company fighting to brake even and as a result they were not growing. This conclusion relates directly to one of Robert's main theories on business which is that "your business either grows or it dies. Expansion isn't a goal or a business strategy. It is an undeniable fact of life." (pg.142) In this case the Herjavec Group was not growing and was therefore slowly dying, in fact the excess capital that Robert had provided originally was used to save his company rather that expand it. However after reassessing his companies values and goals Robert managed to redirect his company by being more aggressive in business pitches and focusing more on customer value. Robert successful managed to re-ignite the drive in himself and his employees that has lead to his success in the past.

Different Paths to Success

"Entrepreneurs don't worry about making great decisions as much as they do about making fast decisions." (pg. 122)

This quote is taken from the book 'Driven' by Robert Herjavec in the chapter titled 'Train for a Marathon, Prepare for a Sprint'. In this chapter Robert Herjavec is referring to the managers of a company as marathon runners because their focus is on the long-term success of a company, which is reached by following a fixed long-term plan. However the entrepreneurs are referred to as sprinters because their focus is on the immediate success of their company and their primary goal is to reach this success before anyone else does. This comparison between managers and entrepreneurs also contributes to the theme of job security versus having a highly risky job, which is very relevant in the book. Robert Herjavec often compares those who work in a large company and follow orders to those who start their own companies and become their own boss. Although both paths can lead to success and wealth it is obvious that Robert is more biased towards the entrepreneurial side of business because he himself is an entrepreneur. Having reached great success Robert understands the constant rush and hectic lifestyle that an entrepreneur has to submerge themselves into in order to reach similar heights of greatness. He explains that in order to cope with the pressure and chaos of running a company by yourself, you need to be very passionate about what you are doing. Passion is something that Robert Herjavec has found in the risk and excitement of being his own boss and not in working for a large firm. He often refers to the job security that most people are looking for in large companies as something that he understands and appreciates but does not strive for personally. Therefore I believe that the importance of this quote is for Robert Herjavec to try and differentiate the roles of a successful entrepreneur with successful manager of a company. The main differences being; choice of lifestyle concerning job security and a person's general approach to business, whether it be fast paced and focused on short-term success or more stead-paced with long term focus on success.

Risk, Vision, and Sacrifice

" - but by working without a salary I was sacrificing immediate income in return for knowledge and experience that would pay off years down the road." (pg. 63)

In this quote from 'Driven', Robert Herjavec is stressing the importance of making sacrifices in the short term in order to achieve a long term goal. This appears to be one of the major themes in the book and seems to have contributed significantly to Robert Herjavec's success. However after reading the first half of the book I can conclude that sacrifice is only really a third of what it takes to achieve greatness from Robert Herjavec's perspective. The other two components are vision and risk. I discovered this earlier in the book when Robert Herjavec was referring to an example from the show 'Dragons Den', in which he wrote, "But that choice - the one that involved risk and vision and sacrifice - was the same one that every other panel member on Dragons' Den has made at some time in their lives, and it was a decision that most people choose to avoid." (pg. 49) Although this specific quote was not referring to a time when Robert had to sacrifice his time and work for free, I do believe that it creates a great foundation for this example because when Robert did decide to work for free he demonstrated each of these three main traits. During a time in which Robert Herjavec called the 'Computer Revolution' he applied for a job in Toronto at a Computer Company, without actually knowing anything about computers. After being turned down during the interview due to lack of sales experience as well as knowledge in the field of computers Robert Herjevec offered to work for free for the first six months and in exchange learn enough information about computers to have the job by the end of that time. This decision represented a huge risk for Robert Herjavec as six months is a long time to be working unpaid, it also represented vision as the computer industry has expanded greatly since then, and also sacrifice as Robert Herjavec could have been working elsewhere and received wages. It was that single decision that incorporated risk, vision, and sacrifice that lead to Robert Herjavec's introduction into the world of computers, an industry in which he has subsequently earned hundreds of millions of dollars.

Assignment 2: Is Literature Repetitive?

"I'm not saying that there's nothing new in literature: I'm saying that everything is new and yet recognizably the same kind of thing as the old" (pg.23)

Prior to this quotation Northrop Frye seemed to be implying that literature is extremely repetitive, and from that I was beginning to conclude that he believed it was lacking creativity. This was especially emphasized when he compared a Greek play to a novel by P.G. Wodehouse, he wrote, "you've got the same plot and the same cast of characters". I thought this was a very unusual way to view literature, as it is more commonly viewed as something requiring extensive creativity. However I thought that this line; "I'm not saying that there's nothing new in literature: I'm saying that everything is new and yet recognizably the same kind of thing as the old" really clarified his argument by challenging the preconception that literature has little new thinking to offer. He followed this by using the example of a newborn baby, saying, "just as a new baby is a genuinely new individual, although it's also an example of something very common". I thought that this was a great comparison in respect to literature and the argument he is making for its originality, I agree with his point of view.

A Higher Purpose for Literature

“What’s produced the aeroplane is not so much a desire to fly as a rebellion against the tyranny of time and space.”

From a first glance my initial interpretation of this quote was that; mankind did not invent planes just for the sake of flying. The plane was created for a higher purpose not simply just "to get somewhere else faster" (pg.14) but to benefit from the extra time and opportunities flight offered. He recognized the power flight brought to mankind, labeling it as a "rebellion" to the limitations that existed before flight. However I also realized that this line was actually referring to literature in the sense that literature has a higher purpose than just providing information , instead it helps people to think on a larger scale i.e. 'outside the box'. With this interpretation in mind I found a direct relation to McCullough's speech, 'The Love of Learning'. Specifically the quotes "If information were learning, you could memorize the World Almanac and call yourself educated" as well as "One can have all the facts and miss the truth." In these quotes McCullough appears to be stressing the huge difference between information and learning, using the argument that memorizing facts is not learning at all. Instead it is actually the process of interpreting and applying knowledge. To conclude the importance of having a higher purpose, I would agree with Northrop Frye's approach whether it be in literature, learning, or even flying. In addition I also thought that this quote highlighted the control of time and space and so the desire to break free. This challenge to existing rules could also be seen as an anti-authority view similar to those discussed in class. Stemming from the events such as WWII concerning the Nazi Regime that shocked the world, I thought that the "rebellion against the tyranny of time and space" expressed mankind's current tendency to question and challenge existing authority and control.