Heart Of Darkness

Another great irony in the novel is the attitude Marlow ultimately adopts towards Kurtz. Marlow's beginning impressions from the various reports he has heard about Kurtz are very adverse. Yet, after the events have taken place, Marlow becomes an admirer of Kurtz harboring strong feelings of respect and friendship. The reader would expect Marlow to continue to react to Kurtz in the same adverse manner as the start of the novel, but the opposite occurs. Marlow becomes so attached to Kurtz that he uses all his powers of persuasion to bring Kurtz back to the ship. Marlow then tells the reader that he could “not betray Mr. Kurtz—it was ordered I should never betray him—it was written I should be loyal to the nightmare of my choice” (94). Thus Marlow has now become almost a follower of Kurtz knowing the full extent of the evil that prevails in Kurtz. Evidently, Marlow's own primitive instinct have come to the surface resulting in a bond between Kurtz and himself. So another civilized European man who is an embodiment of reason and sanity has fallen victim to the influences of savagery.

The protagonist Marlow believes that: “the mind of man is capable of anything-because everything is in it, all the past as well as all the future” (109). The basis of Heart of Darkness is Marlow's physical journey up the congo river to meet Kurtz. The main character Marlow goes through many physical and psycological changes from the beginning to the end of the story. In the beginning, Marlow is fairly innocent as he goes up the river, he gets closer and closer to Kurtz, and he moves closer and closer he learns more and more about the hearts of men and the darkness. When he eventually reaches Kurtz, Marlow's perception is obstructed and he physically and psychologically, does not know where he is.

4.     Marlow encounters a few problems. One being that, while in search of firewood, the crew of the Nellie find some near a seemingly abandoned hut, but upon taking it, are ambushed by natives with bows and arrows. No one is hurt, except the African helmsman, who is killed. Marlow frightens the natives away with the ship’s steam whistle. Not long after, Marlow and his companions arrive at Kurtz’s Inner Station, expecting to find him dead, but a Russian trader, who meets them as they come ashore, assures them that everything is fine and informs them that he is the one who left the wood. The main problem, though, (is actually a collection of occurrences that

The Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, is one of the most critically debated novellas of its time. It is about a man, named Marlow, who joins the Trading Company, specifically having to do with the ivory trade, so that he can adventure into the African Congo. The setting of this story is around the time of the colonization of Africa. Due to the time period and the sensitive things that are addressed in the story, there are many ethical decisions and dilemmas found in the Heart of Darkness. This is discovered in the time period itself, in Kurtz’s decisions, and in Marlow’s loyalty.

1. Does Conrad really "otherize," or impose racist ideology upon, the Africans in Heart of Darkness, or does Achebe merely see Conrad from the point of view of an African? Is it merely a matter of view point, or does there exist greater underlying meaning in the definition of racism?

Marlow has become conclusive that he had indeed witnessed a nightmare that will eternally haunt his imagination—a nightmare in which we all live full of dark human hearts hidden in a whited

In Heart of Darkness written by Joseph Conrad, Marlow, the main character, is given the task to be the captain of a riverboat that will travel down into the depths of the African Congo in order to find the mysterious Kurtz. Marlow has been told about this Kurtz and the work he does down in the heart of the Congo and he seems to be a giant among men. As Marlow encounters those of the company that are sending him to retrieve Kurtz, he begins to hear exceedingly more about him driving his curiosity. Kurtz reputation as a ivory exporter in the Congo is evident when Conrad says "You should have heard him say, 'My ivory.' Oh, yes, I heard him. 'My Intended, my ivory, my station, my river, my—' everything belonged to him" (29). Kurtz is revered as a God by the African tribes living in the Congo, and Marlow’s determination to meet Kurtz after hearing all of these things begins to cloud his judgement. Marlow’s greed is also evident in the scene in the novel when they are attacked by the tribes in the jungle resulting in the death of his helmsman. He begins to realize how dangerous his journey is starting to get as he travels deeper into the jungle. But this does not stop him, instead he pushes on and as a result he himself becomes captivated by the horror of the jungle. His greed has led him too far into the jungle to be able to turn back now and he was unable to realize the danger surrounding him until someone died in front of his eyes.

To many, various parts of the world can seem different and strange. They may not want any connection to them and view those areas similarly to how Michael Conrad viewed and portrayed Africa as barbaric in his novel Heart of Darkness. It is true that every culture is different with their traditions and beliefs, but that does not mean that others cannot understand their way of life. Dance predates cave paintings from the Paleolithic periods in France and Italy, and because of this, dance is an integral part of all life. It is the universal aspect that is essential to every culture and understanding how cultures express their beliefs and values.

He could not tell her that Kurtz’s last words were “The horror! The horror!” because it would be “too dark.” It would be too cruel, she would fall apart. This thought of Marlow’s, exhibits that he kept a sense of right versus wrong even after his journey.

Nevertheless, obstacles preclude Marlow from conclusively understanding events. For example, recurrent fog prevents him from lucidly assessing reality: “When the sun rose there was a white fog, very warm and clammy, and more blinding than the night (p.48).” Here, Marlow is literally and symbolically blinded; he cannot see physical events, or abstract meanings. Moreover, Marlow frequently overhears isolated conversation fragments, including a discussion between The Manager and his nephew (pp.38-40). Although Marlow understands what he literally hears, he lacks the context to ascertain broader

To me the actual “heart of darkness,” in the book is the Congo itself. I believe this for many reasons, the most obvious being because of what is going on in the Congo. The horrible treatment of the natives, using them as slaves, and the tearing apart of the land for its goods. The place itself is full of darkness, brutality, and sadness. Marlow also describes it this way many times, in part 2 he says “Going up that river was like traveling back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings. An empty stream, a great silence, an impenetrable forest. The air was warm, thick, heavy, sluggish. There was no joy in the brilliance of sunshine. The long stretches of the waterway ran on, deserted,

One of the first men introduced to Marlow upon his arrival to the Outer Station is the company’s chief accountant. Not only is he impeccably dressed, but he is devoted entirely to his paperwork. Marlow immediately observes, “He was devoted to his books, which were in apple-pie order” (Conrad 46). The accountant’s drive and nature of work are what occupy his time and keep him from losing his mind amidst the dark and menacing jungle. His stationary and indoor occupation prevent him from getting lost mentally and physically in the horrors of the jungle. His lack of exposure to the environment allows him to maintain his civility, which can be observed through his polished appearance and organized work. Consumed by his work, the accountant is distracted from the horrors happening around him, remaining blissfully ignorant amongst his papers.

As almost any child knows, darkness symbolizes the unknown; it gains its power from its ability to conceal things we are too frightened to face.  Numerous times in the novel Heart of Darkness written by Joseph Conrad, we see characters afraid, not of the darkness itself, but of what potentially lies within it. Marlow's tale begins and ends in literal darkness; the setting of the novel is often dark, such as when the steamboat is enclosed by fog or when Marlow retrieves Kurtz; dark-skinned individuals inhabit the entire region; and, of course, there is a certain metaphysical darkness that pervades the work. Darkness operates in several ways through out the entire novel.

Strong women are not born, they are molded by society. “Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad follows the story of Marlow and his journey up the Congo River to meet Kurtz, a commander of an ivory trading post, as well as Marlow’s descent into darkness. Kurtz’s lover, the intended, represents the men’s traditional viewpoint of 19th century women, while the native woman represents a more modern portrayal of women.

First and foremost, In "Heart of Darkness" the internal and external conflicts are intertwined with Marlow's trip into colonial Africa. Initially seeking adventure, Marlow is looking forward to taking a journey up the Congo River to find Kurtz, a man who he initially looks up to. However, during the trip, Marlow encounters many external conflicts that begin to change his internal beliefs. His journey is a difficult one and the external conflicts Marlow sees are horrible. He sees a French ship shelling the bush country but there seem to be no humans in sight. He sees naked black men dead and dying of disease. His boat is fired upon by supporters of Kurtz. Finally, when Marlow meets Kurtz, he finds a man who he can't look up to. He sees and feels how low a