preview

Heart Of Darkness

Decent Essays
Open Document

In many forms of literature the journey that the characters embark upon becomes a central role. A popular example of a journey is formulated in Joseph Conrad’s Heart Of Darkness. This story follows the practices of modernist literature since it was written at the beginning of the 20th century. As psychologists, such as Sigmund Freud and William James, began to question the rationality of mankind, many writers began to break from traditional writing styles. Joseph Conrad used various elements that broke away from the society normal style as well. He had a impressionistic writing style that was innovative for his time. In Conrad’s story, the setting provides the frame for our main character, “Marlow’s”, story. Marlow is a man who signs …show more content…

Referring to the biblical snake that is related to the devil. Also, if Marlow is beginning his journey at the head and heading towards the tail, he is beginning a journey into the depths of Hell or the heart of darkness. There is also an allusion to Dante’s inferno when Marlow begins his journey to Brussels. He describes the buildings as white sepulchres, which has the connotation of death. Death, of course, goes hand in hand with hell. When Marlow reaches his meeting place with the company he sees two women knitting with black wool. This weaving of fate is a direct relation to the fates described in mythology in the description of Hell. As Marlow captains his steamboat, he is portrayed as Charion who delivers spirits to Hades. There are also a few character descriptions that could be references to Hell. For example, Kurtz’ is described as, “a vapour exhaled by the earth… misty and silent” (Conrad 119). These references to Hell add to the tone of the work. Marlow and his crew of cannibals are not merely taking a leisurely trip to see a man named Kurtz, but rather they are descending into the far reaching depths of Hell. This relates to the theme of this novella, which is the absurdity of evil. Marlow is having to choose between the lesser of two evil between The Company and Kurtz. Not only is Marlow traveling through hell, but he is also taking a trip through time as well. How might this be connected to some of the themes of the

Get Access