Heart Of Darkness Test Questions – Flashcards

Joseph Conrad

He is the honest, philosophical, and eloquent narrator of the story. He tells the tale of his journey to the Congo in which he pursued a mysterious man named Kurtz. He is skeptical of imperialism and deeply troubled by his experiences in the Congo, which revealed to him the darkness at the core of the human soul.

He is the chief of the Inner station and a mysterious figure throughout the majority of the novel. Marlow learns from the Company workers that he is an incredibly talented and powerful man. It is not until Marlow witnesses his cruel treatment of the natives and reads his malicious writings that he recognizes him as a brutal, hollow, and greedy megalomaniac.

He is the chief agent of the Company in the Congo who runs the Central Station. Marlow described him as "hollow". He is not very skilled, but he is very powerful due to his ability to make those around him uneasy.

The cannibals are the natives hired as the crew of the steamer. Marlow is surprised by how civilized they are. The pilgrims are agents of the Central Station. In contrast with the cannibals, the pilgrims are greedy and cruel to the natives. They are often characterized as animalistic.

The brickmaker is a worker at the Central Station who never works because he allegedly is missing some necessary component. The Chief accountant is an efficient worker whose impeccable wardrobe and good health stands in stark contrast with the sick and dying natives in the Outer Station.

Kurtz's mistress is a beautiful woman who, like Kurtz, has an air of mystery. Kurtz's intended is Kurtz's fiancé who is certain of Kurtz's love and strength of character.

• Marlow, a sailor, relates to his fellow sailors the story of his exploration of the Congo River. • As a child, Marlow had always been fascinated by the unexplored places of the earth, what he called the "blank spaces" on the map. He was especially drawn to the Congo, which he compared to "an immense snake uncoiled," alluding to the temptation and fall of man. • He applied for and attained a job working for an ivory trading company in the Belgian Congo. Although he initially romanticizes his journey through Africa, he begins to recognize the cruel treatment of the natives under Belgian imperialist control. • He meets the manager of the company, from whom he learns of a mysterious man named Kurtz, rumored to be the best ivory trader in the Congo. Although he knows very little about the man, he idolizes him, believing that he will embody the virtue that appears to have been lost in the Congo. • As the story progresses, Marlow is faced with continual savagery and brutality. Throughout this time Marlow remains hopeful that Kurtz will be the remarkable, moral man that he imagines him to be. • When Marlow finally reaches Kurtz's station, he learns that Kurtz's success in the company was due to his cruelty and brutality. • Marlow believes that Kurtz's apparent "madness" and lack of morality is the result of his environment. Spending so much time away from civilization has revealed the darkness within his heart, the capacity for evil that Marlow believes all men share. Kurtz dies and Marlow returns to civilization, now aware of the darkness that lies within the human soul.

The hypocrisy of Imperialism -While the Belgian Company claimed that they intended to civilize the natives, they really commit genocide for power and wealth. The only worker who does not try to hide his true motives is Kurtz; he openly discusses his goal to "suppress" and "exterminate" the natives. Fate and Free Will: -Conrad suggests that Marlow's journey towards Kurtz is inevitable. The story leads the reader to ask if Kurtz could have avoided his descent into madness and his corruption resulting from imperialism Greed leads to the Destruction of Virtue -In the Belgian Congo, strict European values have been destroyed by greed for wealth and power. The colonists are more concerned with making a profit than the harm they are causing to the natives. Greed leads to abandonment of morals. Ivory is a symbol of greed and evil.

Fog: representative of distortion on the truth and the darkness of human nature The River: Marlow referred to the river as "a giant snake," alluding to the temptation and evil within the Congo. Women: representative of naivety and blindness to the truth The "Whited Sepulchre": representative of Brussels. This phrase alludes to the Book of Matthew, which describes whited sepulchers as beautiful on the outside but horrible on the inside. While Brussels claimed that it wanted to civilize the natives of the Congo, it really committed genocide in the name of wealth and power.

Marlow and Kurtz face the conflict between their "civilized" European self-image and their temptation to abandon morality in the Congo.

Heart of Darkness is a frame story set on a ship called the Nellie in the middle of the Thames River.

Marlow tells his fellow sailors about his life and how he attained a job with the Company in the Congo.

Marlow sees the brutality of the Company's employees towards the natives, hears rumors of the mysterious Kurtz, and witnesses European workers breaking down.

Marlow reaches the Inner Station and realizes that Kurtz has completely abandoned European morals.

Marlow speaks with Company officials, Kurtz's family and friends, and Kurtz's Intended.

Marlow finishes telling his story, and the narrator looks off into the dark sky, which makes the waterway appear "to lead into the heart of an immense darkness."

Foreshadowing: Before beginning to tell his story, Marlow alludes to the "heart of darkness." As he tells his story, he often foreshadows his eventual disillusionment with Kurtz and the company. Irony: It is ironic that the native cannibals are civilized and the European pilgrims are savage. Symbolism: There are several symbols in the novel, including women, fog, the river, and the "whited sepulchre". Allusion: In the beginning of the story, Marlow alludes to the conquests for riches and fame along the Thames river.