Heart Of Darkness Symbolism

Heart of Darkness written by Joseph Conrad is dramatic tale of an arduous trek into the darkest part of Africa at the turn of the twentieth century. The story follows the protagonist Marlow, an English marine merchant, as he travels through the African jungle up the Congo river in search for a mysterious man named Kurtz. Through Marlow's narration, Conrad provides a searing indictment of European colonial exploitation inflicted upon African natives. Through his use of irony, characters, and symbolism in the novel, Conrad aims to unveil the underlying horrors of colonialism. By shedding light on the brutality of colonialism in Heart of Darkness, Conrad shows that European values have been irrevocably eclipsed by darkness.

In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad suggest that true human existence cannot prevail productively without the dynamics of society. Throughout numerous scenes in the novel, Conrad stresses the necessity of societal restraints through Kurtz’s inability to prosper as a human being when he is removed from the expectations of civilization. In the scene above, Marlow’s myopic observations of Kurtz reveals Conrad’s theme by illustrating the annihilation of Kurtz’s essential human characteristics as he descends into a barbaric lifestyle absent of the norms of society. Not only does the above scene support Conrad’s main theme, but it portrays his writing style, characterization of Marlow, and symbolism as used throughout the novel.

Kurtz’s lack of restraint and hunger for ivory consumes not only his soul but drains all of his physical existence. Upon seeing him, Marlow states, “I could see the cage of his ribs all astir, the bones of his arm waving (126)”. Conrad focuses on the physical features of Kurtz to display the madness that has consumed him. However, though Kurtz’s body is deteriorating, Kurtz’s mind continues to thrive. Conrad shows this in Marlow’s shock of witnessing a flame of passion that remains in Kurtz’s eyes as he converses without signs of exhaustion (126). Conrad continues to describe Kurtz as a shadow composed of tranquility and satisfaction. Conrad’s incorporation of this detail signifies the evil and greed that consumes Kurtz and is reflected through his physique. However, the power of Kurtz’s presence is personified through the action of his words. As the strength in his voice captures Marlow’s attention, it merely reflects his influence upon his followers. The power reflected through his voice displayed his confidence as well as his position as a leader for the natives. Hi demeanor displays an air of arrogance that makes others feel less equal to him. Those who follow him fear him, but also continue to respect him.

1. The setting of the story begins on the Nellie, a ship. The turn of the tide is significant because it gives the men on board extra time to talk, and Marlow begins telling his story. In addition, symbolically, the turning of the tide conveys a change, and perhaps, foreshadowing of the story. The author spends a lot of time dealing with light because it is the main symbol in the novella. Light and darkness are universal symbols that represent good and evil. Although not explicitly stated, those who have the light are those who are “civilized”, and those who have the darkness are those who remain “uncivilized”, particularly the people living in Africa.

Some critics believe that in Heart of Darkness Conrad illustrates how ‘’the darkness of the landscape can lead to the darkness of the social corruption.” This statement means that if the environment is dark, then the people in that environment will match the surrounding feeling, which is dark and depressing. For example, if it is a gloomy rainy day, most people feel tired and not as happy. If it is a bright sunny day, the most people feel motivated to get things done and joyful. Yes, this statement is believable because I have noticed that the weather, my surroundings, and even other people’s behaviors around me affect my mood. Today, for instance, it rained all day and the sky was dark, as a result I slept throughout the whole

Darkness is a major theme in The Heart of Darkness. Kurtz is unaware of his own darkness which leads to his downfall. He cannot see what kind of person he has become and how the darkness of the jungle has completely taken over him. The jungle is so secluded and mysterious that it actually influences Kurtz’s bad behavior. Kurtz becomes greedy and powerful but never realizes that this behavior is bringing him down until he is on the verge of death. Kurtz last words, “The horror! The horror!”(63) show Kurtz’s realization that the darkness had consumed him. Kurtz himself is one of the biggest examples of darkness in this book.

Conrad also implements minor characters to further the unexpected distinction between dark and light, black and white. The white pilgrims are portrayed as materialistic, ivory-hungry opportunists with "black" souls; their behavior is violent and savage. Contrariwise, the black natives are civil, spiritual, and have "white" souls.  In the beginning of the novel, Conrad creates the fellow seamen who accompany Marlow on his present journey and listen to his tale of the Congo to establish the contrast between the materialistic and the spiritual. The fellow sailors do not understand Marlow's tale and chastise him throughout, showing their reluctance and inability to

In the novel Heart of Darkness, the character Marlow travels in a steamship into the Congo to find and bring back Kurtz and his stash of ivory. Marlow spent much of his journey fantasizing about the man called Kurtz that he had never seen before, only heard about. However, when the moment of the meeting finally arrives, Marlow is met with a sickly man reaching his end. They bring him onto the steamship to take him back to Europe, but he dies soon after, leaving Marlow with his last words: “The horror! The horror!” (Conrad 64). As his life leaves him, Kurtz realizes the evils he and the Europeans have committed, leaving him with only these last thoughts.

In the late 1800s, a Belgian king wanted to dabble in Imperialism and he choose the Congo, which sadly meant that all its resources were going to be sucked dry. The government in the Congo made no honest and practical effort to increase the knowledge of the Congolese people nor did they secure their welfare, which is what they promised (Williams). This is around the time the main character in the book Heart of Darkness, Marlow, went to Congo because of his obsession with Africa. As Marlow was going up Congo River and journeying to his final destination, he was disappointed with how things were operating due to the company’s inefficiency and brutality towards the slaves. As the story goes on you will notice the hardship that the natives of the

After reading the poem, “Into the darkness,” I have decided to focus on symbolism, archetypes, and myths when referring to the owl and darkness. After researching I have found out that an owl operates mainly late at night or all night. The author stated that “The great-horned owl calls to me each night from the deep, tree-shadows nearby, and I shape-shift in the darkness, and shed human form, to fly”. When the owl shows up in your life, pay attention to the winds of change. Perhaps the author is about to leave some old habits, a situation no longer serves or perhaps bring something new in your life.

In the novel Heart of Darkness, Joesph Conrad uses the symbol of the river to show change and how the the river is deceiving and evil. Conrad uses the Congo river, which in its time was a key element in the conversion of Africa to the imperialistic country it is in the novel. The Congo river allows access into the interior of Africa, referred to as the “Dark Continent” in the novel. The river is more than definitely one of the most important elements and symbols of Heart of Darkness.

He feels greatly out of place, disgusted by these things. It is through his eyes, then, that we can experience the terrible situation the Europeans have created to strip the land for personal profit. The darkness no longer applies only to the shadowy jungle, but to the blackness of men's souls. This is a land of mystery, and what is unknown is used to create the mood and influence the reader. With every terrible act Marlow witnesses, the reader is more disgusted; we learn more about Kurtz and Marlow—the setting provides the opportunity for characterization. Part of the suspense of the story rests in the unknown dangers in the jungles. This also comes from the story's setting. All this prepares the reader for butchery, human sacrifice, and Kurtz's complete moral degradation—the same man who is worshiped by the natives as their chief...like a god. When Kurtz is found, he is completely mad and physically ill—changed by what he has done and what he has seen. The setting affects the mood, the characterization and the plot development. The setting allows for more realistic plot development, and as a result, more credible

One way in which the title can be interpreted is to symbolize the interior of Africa called the Congo. The text considers the deep jungle of Africa as the heart of darkness both for its untamed and hostile wilderness and for its supposed "savages" who hang out there practicing certain non-European customs such as cannibalism. The major and significant

 Marlow's journey leads him in an urgent search for Kurtz, the one man who can provide him with the truth about himself. Like Marlow, Kurtz came to the Congo in hopes to bring "light" and civilization to a backwards society. He is a highly-educated, refined gentlemen; yet, in the end, the brutal nature of the Congo forces him to resort to the life of a murderer and pilferer. The name Kurtz itself has symbolic meaning. "The physical shortness in Kurtz implies a shortness of character and spirit" (Heart of Darkness: A systematic evaluation). Marlow and Kurtz both symbolize the two conditions of human nature. "Kurtz represents what man could become if left to his own intrinsic devices outside protective society. Marlow represents a pure untainted civilized soul who has not been drawn to savagery by a dark, alienated jungle." (Heart of Darkness: A systematic evaluation). When the two come face to face, each man sees a reflection of what he might have become in the other. In Kurtz, Marlow sees the potential

The manager personifies the darkness with his unbalanced priorities of obtaining of ivory and the deficiency of importance given to human lives, thus displaying an intense darkness behind the façade of light. In the beginning of the book, Marlow comes upon a "grove of death" in the jungle where black workers who are no longer able to function satisfactorily in the eyes of the company are left to die. Marlow also witnesses black workers in chain-gangs throughout his journey up the river, along with a black man shot. These atrocities against the natives are as a result of the white colonization and the activities of the manager, a character which represents the darkness within the supposed light that is brought to the natives. The manager is solely concerned with the safe confiscation of the ivory and not at all with Kurtz' life, lives are seen as merely objects in the way of the ultimate goal of ivory. Therefore the manager, with the "lightness" - a façade of bringing culture and improvements to the natives, is in fact the real darkness, demonstrating the evil associated with the European colonialism of Africa.