Joseph Conrad's 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.

Conrad’s Heart of Darkness portrays an inappropriate image of Africa that is dark, mysterious, and barbaric. Marlow thinks of Africa as a mystery, in fact on his journey towards Africa, he described it as the darkest places on earth. Marlow often uses the phrase, “We penetrated deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness” (40), to depict his progress on the Congo with a feeling of unknown coming towards him. The anonymous continent of Africa, a land where history was preserved. Marlow describes his journey similar to traveling in a time machine; “Going up the river was like traveling back to the earliest beginnings of the world when vegetation rioted on the earth and the trees were kings”(42). Marlow describes the river while leaving Congo; “The brown

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.

Joseph Conrad’s novella, Heart of Darkness, was written in 1899, near the end of the imperialism of Africa. Far from European civilization, the imperialists are without rules and ransacking Africa in search ivory and glory. One of the most significant themes in Heart of Darkness is the psychological issues catalyzed by the lawlessness of the jungle. Due to the breakdown of societal convention, the characters of Heart of Darkness are exposed to not only the corruption of imperialism, but the sickness of their minds.

Written in the late 1800’s, Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is a novella about one man’s travel into the Congo Free State by way of the Congo River. The title “Heart of Darkness” actually holds two different meanings. Heart of Darkness is both a metaphor for a psychological “dark side” of man, and an allusion to Africa. The title suggests both a physical and mental reference.

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

     While sitting and talking to the man on the pier, Stevens questions his life, realizing that his entire method of thinking has been wrong. He realizes that he has not been living as a human being, but rather as simply a butler.

Marlow develops a prodigious obsession for him. Along his expedition his goal is to reach the gripping Mr. Kurtz. As the novella goes on, Marlow experiences

Set in the heart of the Congo, Heart of Darkness is a tale of a man named Marlow who is hired as a steamboat captain by a Belgian owned company. During the late 19th century, Africa was divvied up, so to speak, by imperialistic powers and was the world’s hotspot for the much sought after ivory. Marlow was hired for a quest to set out and find a mystery man named Kurtz who was also part of the same company and was currently in the Congo. Kurtz had apparently gone crazy, so it was the mission of Marlow to locate and retrieve him.

Passage Analysis In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, the journey of the main protagonist Marlow, working as a ivory transporter is depictive of one man’s struggle to answer the persistent questions posed by the ethics and moralities of this life. Marlow’s depiction of his journey travelling the river provides a glimpse into his experiences that gave him this purpose. To provide context for this passage, it is just at the start of chapter two. It begins at “ Going up that river…” and ends at “half-a-crown a tumble-”

When Marlow sees the disturbing fence, he realizes what he has gotten himself into. He sees head on a fence surrounding the home that Kurtz is leaving in. This shows that Kurtz is coldhearted and by doing this to the natives heads it shows that they want to conquer the land and make it civilized.

Marlow arrives at the Central Station and meets the company’s chief accountant. The chief accountant appears to be mean. The chief accountant mentions Mr. Kurtz, who is the first class ivory agent, a favorite amongst the company. He finds out that the steamship has been sunk and spends several months waiting for parts to repair it. The manager is concerned because he fears his position against Kurtz.

In the present era of decolonization, Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness presents one of fictions strongest accounts of British imperialism. Conrad’s attitude towards imperialism and race has been the subject of much literary and historical debate. Many literary critics view Conrad as accepting blindly the arrogant attitude of the white male European and condemn Conrad to be a racist and imperialists. The other side vehemently defends Conrad, perceiving the novel to be an attack on imperialism and the colonial experience. Understanding the two viewpoints side by side provides a unique understanding that leads to a commonality that both share; the novel simply presents a criticism of colonialists in Africa. The novel merely portrays a

Beyond the shield of civilization and into the depths of a primitive, untamed frontier lies the true face of the human soul. It is in the midst of this savagery and unrelenting danger that mankind confronts the brooding nature of his inner self.  Joseph Conrad’s novel, Heart of Darkness, is the story of one man's insight into life as he embarks on a voyage to the edges of the world. Here, he meets the bitter, yet enlightening forces that eventually shape his outlook on life and his own individuality. Conrad’s portrayal of the characters, setting, and symbols, allow the reader to reflect on the true nature of man.

The two major themes of Heart of Darkness are the conflict between “reality” and “darkness,” and the idea of restraint and whether or not it is necessary. Conrad’s passage describing the restraint of the hungry cannibals exemplifies both themes:  It describes how reality shapes human behavior, and contrasts the characters of Kurtz and Marlow.  “Reality,” as it is used here, is defined as “that which is civilized.”