Heart of Darkness – By Joseph Conrad Essay Example

sea's depth and complexity is so great that you don't question anything about the meaning of life - ie meditate. This darkness demonstrated at the opening chapter is connected to the way Conrad goes beyond chiaroscuro in this novel, and makes the main themes more apparent by comparing and contrasting the darkness with light and the distinctions such as inward and outward, civilised and savaged are also brought into question.This is shown for example when the journey is described as a 'glow which brings out a haze' and how is is '..

. detestable. And in Fascination too'. The contrast between London tand the surrounding land and sea is an example of strong chiaroscuro where the 'greatest town on earth' is corresponding to be the gateway to civilization, starkly contrasted to the bleak and mysterious surroundings 'the mist on the Essex marshes'.

Chiaroscuro establishes a sense of unwanted lust for the discovery and of the journey, and it is this which makes the beginning of Marlow's story even more appealing to the reader while being even darker and 'inconclusive'. As Conrad gets deeper into the novel and the plot, the language also starts to fragment into trails of thought rather than sentences; this is vital as it represents the way the deeper Marlow goes into his story and his Heart of Darkness, the more you question your existence and therefore start to go mad, reducing any sense previously obtained. What redeems it is an idea only.An idea at the back of it; not a sentimental pretence but an idea; and an unselfish belief in that idea-something you can set up, and bow down before, and offer sacrifice

to.

.. '; the structure of his words are fluid, showing helplessness in what he is about to say, more significantly Marlow's speech then breaks off - it does not trail away - and it breaks off because the suggestions of the image he has just used are reminiscent of his past and therefore harmful. What is dominant in this opening passage is the theme of Imperialism.

The impacts to the colonised 'savages' are not made clear, however, the impacts to the Europeans are highlighted sharply; they are removed from civilised society and forced to become wild, mad and violent. He makes it clear that the Romans were conquerors not colonists, highlighting that they have no objective than to get all they can: 'when the romans first came here... '. This reference to the Roman conquest offers an obvious parallel between it and the colonisation of the Congo where the Romans also felt the 'utter savagery' of barbaric Britain close around them.

Connected with imperialism, Marlow starts to talk about his childhood and his 'passion for maps'; he speaks of 'blank spaces' and how desirable these unknown lands are, this corresponds to the way that the unknown is the most desirable and Marlow's desire for the terra incognita lies parallel to his desire to go deep into our existence. The map is there as a symbol, even though the land he's going to is known, the world is still ignorant and refuses to be knowledgeable of it, similar to the way humans cast aside deep questions by occupying our lives with structure and no time to question.Marlow then starts to describe the Company's sinister headquarters and how he

'slipped through one of the cracks' to enter the building; this implies that the Company is figuratively closed in terms of allowing the public knowledge of its operations. The two black women which he describes knitting black wool resembles the fate of the Greek myth of Clothco and Lachesis, who spin and measure the thread of each life before Apropos cuts the wool.The wool is black implying that the company is knitting the fate of the Africans and therefore playing God on deciding who in the Congo will live or die.

Related to this, careless way of treating death, Marlow is then led into a dimly lit office-this lighting reflects the "shady" and ambiguous morals of the Company- and is significant because he only speaks with the Company's President for forty-five seconds, suggesting that the Company views Marlow-and other people-as disposable.Finally, one of the most stirring parts of these first ten pages is the examination by the Company's Doctor. The doctor 'ask[s Marlow] whether [he] would let [the doctor] measure his head'. This gives the impression that the doctor is measuring whether Marlow is capable of going mad and this danger which lies in the Congo is further enhanced by the way the doctor never sees those who return- implying they don't return or that 'the changes [that] take place inside' are too drastic for them to have the sense to see him.

Heart of Darkness essay Sample 2

Annotated Bibliography Blagodarskiy, Vas. “Critical Analysis of Social Issues in ‘Heart of Darkness’ by Joseph Conrad. ” Articlesbase. 20 Oct. 2009. Web. 30 May 2013. The main social

issue in Heart of Darkness deals with abandoning European morals when faced with the power of colonialism. The two main characters, Kurtz and Marlow – once noble men – both face this challenge. Thus, the main theme in the novella can be defined as absurdly hypocritical practices of imperialism, with motifs such as ironic understatements, inability to accurately word things due to their horribleness, and, of course, darkness.

Brown, Alistair. “Heart Of Darkness And Victorian Anthropology. ” The Pequod. Web. 30 May 2013. Well known for the way in which it has many layers of narration, Heart of Darkness recreates the detached ways in which the Victorian anthropologist gathered data on, and represented, native culture. In the scene with the 'African Queen,' Conrad creates a dramatic drawing together of objective, rational, Europeanism with abstract, magical Africanism, a crossing of the "shadow lines" which exposes the falsehood of making a scientific distinction between observer and patron, and observed and patronized.

Kaplan, Carola. “Colonizers, Cannibals, and the Horror of Good Intentions in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. ” Ed. Harold Bloom. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2003. 67-80. Print. This is a great starting point for any research into critical approaches as far as “Heart of Darkness” is concerned because of how far reaching the discussions in the article are. Not only does Kaplan talk about Kipling-esque colonization (see Raskin below) and morality, she provides an analysis of the text in which she finds this tension between white and black, right and wrong, and civilized and savage.

The other great part of this analysis is that Kaplan discusses other members of the cannon of Western

literature and how Conrad projects British colonial fears and motivations rather than Achebean racism. Lackey, Michael. "The Moral Conditions for Genocide in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. " College Literature 32. 1 (2005): 20-41. Print. Many of Conrad’s critics will analyze “Heart of Darkness” through the lens of morality, but Lackey makes it clear that doing so “is problematic at best and completely misguided at worst” (Lackey 21).

While much of the first part of Lackey’s argument centers around Judeo-Christian morals as outlined by the Bible, it is useful to see how contradictory such a view of the novella can be. Furthermore, Lackey finishes his article by discussing British society, interpretation, and the characters themselves (particularly Kurtz), and how they could, but should not, be analyzed through the dichotomies and contradictions of morality. Lawtoo, Nidesh. “A Picture of Europe: Possession Trance in Heart of Darkness. ” Novel: A Forum on Fiction 45. 3 (Fall 2012): 409-432. Print.

The article discusses the representation of Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" whose essays interpret as presenting a picture of Europe rather than an image of Africa, and which critics use as evidence to prove Conrad's racism. It particularly focuses on the rituals written by Conrad wherein Africans dance to the sound of drums in a state of frenzy. It states, however, that the representation's interpretation might be used as a means to realize the dreadfulness of ritual frenzy in any place. Lawtoo, Nidesh.

“The Horror of Mimesis: Enthusiastic Outbreak[s] in Heart of Darkness. Conradiana 42. 1/2 (Spring-Summer 2010): 46-74. Print. A literary criticism of Joseph Conrad's novel "Heart of Darkness" is presented. It explores the

idea of identification in Charlie Marlow's ambivalent relationship to his double, Mr. Kurtz, which it says fits Conrad's career-long fascination with the homo duplex or double human. A discussion on Conrad's concept of affective mimesis, a form of behavioral imitation that creates a psychological confusion between self and others is cited. Mimetic sexism and colonial ideology are also discussed. McCarthy, Jeffrey Mathes. A Choice Of Nightmares: The Ecology Of Heart Of Darkness. ” Modern Fiction Studies 55. 3 (Fall 2009): 620-648. Print. The article discusses nature in literature. It focuses on Joseph Conrad's novel "Heart of Darkness" where the moral and ecological limits of empire building is shown.

He believes that Conrad used the ivory instead of the rubber as the center of conflict in his novel because it shows a more detrimental relationship between people and nature in Congo's ecosystem under the European regime. Mongredien, Phil. “Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. The Guardian Blog Review. 22 Jan 2011. Web. 30 May 2013.

It is tempting to see Heart of Darkness as a masterfully constructed parable on human nature (witness Apocalypse Now, Francis Ford Coppola's film adaptation, in which the action was transposed to south-east Asia) but as historian Adam Hochschild has pointed out in King Leopold's Ghost, about the king's rape of the Congo, Conrad himself was quite clear that it was based on specific events he had witnessed, saying it was "experience… pushed a little (and only very little) beyond the actual facts of the case. Despite his protestations, this is undeniably an invaluable historical document offering a glimpse into the horrific human consequences of the imperial powers' scramble for

Africa as much as it is a compelling tale. Ophir, Ella. “Sincerity And Self-Revelation In Joseph Conrad. ” Modern Language Review 107. 2 (April 2012): 341-363. Print. Conrad's novel Heart of Darkness has been taken to exemplify the new ethic of authenticity that displaced the old ideal of sincerity.

Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim, Nostromo, and The Secret Agent do interrogate and undermine the value of the old ideal, but do not promote a conception of authenticity. Rather, they lead to a radically revised conception of sincerity, one that is stripped of moral and social value, but preserves the possibility of articulate self-revelation. Sincerity becomes aleatory, even amoral, but it survives to name those moments at which, Conrad maintains, feeling and language can and do bind, and obscured interiority stands revealed. Peters, John G. “Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness and the World of Western Women. Studies in Short Fiction 37. 1 (Winter 2012): 87-112. Print. This essay analyzes the treatment by the character of Charlie Marlow of the Western women in the short story "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad. It describes the attitude of Marlow toward women and those of the sepulchral city who believe the universe to be rational and safe.

It also shows the important role of women in the psychological and ontological survival of Marlow, in affording him a sanctuary for his mind as well as refuge from the chaos and indifference of the universe. Qasaimeh, Yousof A. nd Joshi, Monika. “Journey from the Heart of Darkness to the Heart of Sadness: Fiction v/s Reality. ” International Journal of Psychological Studies 1. 1 (June 2009): 42-50. Print. The purpose

of this study is to perceive the give - and - take between art and real life conditions. It presents information on the writing of the novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad whose continental experience and familiarity with the imperial milieu in the east and Africa rendered him capable of bringing much greater knowledge of real politic into literary work more than any one else.

It seems fruitful to see how the authors deal with the gap between how things could or should be in a given society, and how they really are. International politics is devoid of moral values as can be seen in the case of Congo in Heart of Darkness (a fictional situation) and in the present Iraqi situation (a real- life situation). In Heart of Darkness there is a suggestion that the exploited will some day, sooner or later, rise in revolt against the exploitation of the foreign rule.

Can oppressed nations like Congo and Iraq hope to conclude this tiresome journey in the near future and set out a fresh on new journey, perhaps one into the Heart of Happiness? The answer to this question remains unknown at the present time. In spite of this, people of these nations should be optimize, keeping in mind that it is always darkest before the dawn, and that Stars shine out the most brilliantly through dark clouds. Rangarajan, Sudarsan. “Conrad's Heart of Darkness. ” Explicator 56. 3 (Spring 1998): 139. Print.

In Heart of Darkness, the mythic phenomena of the hero's journey of initiation and his descent into the underworld have been well recognized. The protagonist, Marlow, incarnates both

good and evil. His mission to redeem and immortalize Mr. Kurtz allows one to identify Marlow with the Roman hero Aeneas, yet Marlow's character has a fiendish side that recalls the image of Charon, the ferryman who transports the dead across the River Styx. Several striking similarities between Marlow and Charon emerge from a closer examination of the narrative. Romero, Jorge Sacido.

Failed Exorcism: Kurtz's Spectral Status And Its Ideological Function In Conrad's 'Heart Of Darkness. '” Atlantis 33. 2 (December 2011): 43-60. Print. It is quite remarkable how Marlow's recurrent characterization of Kurtz as a specter in Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness' has passed almost unnoticed in the large body of criticism on the novella. This essay interprets Marlow's persistent expression of loyalty, to Kurtz's ghost as the last in a series of ideological strategies that endow the imperialist culture in which he is embedded with a minimum degree of consistency that counterbalances the debilitating exposure of its evils.

The ensuing pages develop this central thesis concerning Kurtz's ghostly status by drawing on Slavoj Zizek's Lacanian approach to the ideological function of the specter, which allows the author to diverge from other readings of 'Heart of Darkness' relevant to this topic. An exploration of the logic of spectrality helps to explain why the novella falls short in its indictment of imperialist ideology, a failure which, in the last instance, amounts to an endorsement. Rudrum, David. “Living Alone: Solipsism In Heart Of Darkness. Philosophy & Literature 29. 2 (October 2005): 409-427. Print. The article discusses the representation of solipsism and the failure of language to communicate adequately basing on the novel "Heart of Darkness,"

by Joseph Conrad.

The novel is described as affected by the limits of subjectivity. According to philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, language, selfhood and worldhood are interrelated and limited. He also sees the self as essentially isolated from other selves. Singh, Frances B. "Terror, Terrorism, and Horror in Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Partial Answers: Journal of Literature and the History of Ideas 5. 2 (2007): 199-218. Print. Singh’s paper considers “Heart of Darkness” as an example of rhetorical counterterrorism, an approach that is not only relevant to modern Western socio-political concerns, but also provides a different and more optimistic view of the novel than critics such as Achebe. The article uses many examples of “horror” and “terror” inducing elements from traditional Gothic works as a set-up for what Conrad does to disprove them.

The main focus of Singh’s paper in this regard is on teeth, in which he says Gothic traditions have made teeth a device for inducing terror (think vampires), but for Conrad, the cannibals and their teeth are neither horrifying nor terrifying. Singh finishes by looking at language, something that many other critics focus on (see Krupat, for example), and how it influences Conrad’s softening and defiance of traditionally “scary” narrative devices. Skinner, Stephen. “Obscurity, Apophasis, and the Critical Imagination: The Unsayable in Heart of Darkness. ” Conradiana 42. 1/2 (Spring-Summer 2010): 93-106. Print.

A literary criticism of Joseph Conrad's novel "Heart of Darkness" is presented. It shows Charlie Marlow's misty telling of his veiled story within a slanted narrative, and cites his own comparison of his story with the retelling of a dream. And yet it points at how Conrad's treatment

of the unsayable in the novella can be viewed as a form of apophasis. Excerpts from Dionysius the Areopagite's 5th- to 6th-century AD "Mythical Theology" and Samuel Beckett's "The Unnamable" are given. Stampfl, Barry. “Marlow's Rhetoric Of (Self-) Deception In Heart Of Darkness. ” Modern Fiction Studies 37. 2 (Summer91): 183. Print.

Discusses the narrative style of Marlow in Joseph Conrad's story 'Heart of Darkness. ' Role of psychoanalytic theory in providing the conceptual framework for a desublimated investigation of Marlow's narrative; polemic against idealism in the name of exegesis; Conrad's stylistic devices; Conrad's extension of Sigmund Freud's analysis of the rhetoric of self-deception; words of negation and anticonjectural words of uncertainty that enable the expression of the repressed ideational content. Stubbs, Michael. “Conrad in the computer: examples of quantitative stylistic methods. ” Language & Literature 14. 1 (February 2005): 5-24. Print.

A stylistic analysis of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is used to illustrate the literary value of simple quantitative text and corpus data. Cultural and literary aspects of the book are briefly discussed. It is then shown that data on the frequencies and distributions of individual words and recurrent phraseology can not only provide a more detailed descriptive basis for widely accepted literary interpretations of the book, but also identify significant linguistic features which literary critics seem not to have noticed. The argument provides a response to skepticism of quantitative stylistics from both linguists and literary critics.

Taylor, Derek. “Conrad's Heart of Darkness. ” Explicator 56. 4 (Summer 1998): 195. Print. Unwilling to espouse the violence inherent in adventure or to fully relinquish his need to pass as an adventurer,

Marlow attempts an unholy amalgamation of the two positions. In so doing, he renders himself impotent in both.

Indeed, what at first appears to bother Marlow in the passage--the mistreatment of natives--is not, as he concludes, the source of his unrest after all; rather, it is the type of men mistreating the natives that Marlow objects to. Viola, Andre. A Black Athena in the Heart of Darkness, or Conrad's Baffling Oxymorons. ” Conradiana 38. 2 (Summer 2006): 163-173. Print. This article examines the representation of an African woman who appears toward the end of the novella "Heart of Darkness," by Joseph Conrad. Most critics consider her exclusively as the embodiment of the savagery inherent in Africa. After having labeled the woman as mistress, most commentators then proceed to pile on her derogatory qualifiers. What is foregrounded is a sharp and paradoxical contrast in the adjectives attributed to the African woman.

West, Roger. “Conrad's Heart Of Darkness. ” Explicator 50. 4 (Summer 1992): 222. Print. Discusses Joseph Conrad's novel `Heart of Darkness. ' Assertion that Conrad's talismanic white collars serve as a reminder not only of the abusive power that the white man has used against the Africans through the exploitation of those people's superstitions and fears, but also of the political and economic domination of underdeveloped countries that pervades European history; Literary evidence which supports this contention.

Heart of Darkness essay Sample 3

Asher Kohn Light and Dark Imagery in Heart of Darkness
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is a novel about a man named Marlow and his journey into the depths of the African Congo.

Marlow is in search of a man named Kurtz, an ivory trader. Though Marlow's physical journey seems rather simple, it takes him further into his own heart and soul then into the Congo. The setting, symbols and characters each contain light and dark images, these images shape central theme of the novel.

Conrad uses light and dark imagery to help create the setting for the story; light represents civilization while darkness suggests the uncivilized. The novel opens on the deck of a boat called the Nellie, as we are introduced to the passengers we are told how the sun is slowly fading, and soon darkness will engulf the area. This image is Conrad's first use of light and darkness; he uses it to foreshadow the ultimate darkness Marlow will face. Conrad is warning his readers to be careful, lest they let down their guard and allow the darkness to come them. The other character in the book, Kurtz, is taken over by the evil embodied in the darkness. During Kurtz's journey into the heart of darkness the isolation, darkness and power all made him lose control of himself and allowed the darkness to take over.

Every aspect in Conrad's book has a deep meaning, which can then be linked to the light and dark imagery. In the novel there are two rivers, the Thames and the Congo. The Thames is described as light and peaceful while the Congo is given a more bleak description. Conrad's intentions are very clear. The river Thames is the river that brings you into Europe, civilization, while the Congo brings you into the jungle or darkness.

Another important symbol in the story is

the ivory. The ivory has a two-fold meaning and is a central theme in the novel. Ivory is taken from the tusks of male elephants; they live in a pristine area untouched by humans. However, once the white man places a high price on the ivory, the ivory turns from good to evil. Conrad uses the ivory as a representation of the greed and corruption that is in the white mans soul. In the case of Kurtz this same greed and corruption overtook his soul, and caused his death.

Each character has a special role in the novel; Kurtz and Marlow are the most important, through these two characters we are able to see how good and evil balance each other out. Marlow's journey into the heart of darkness can also be seen as a journey into his own soul. He was in search of the darkest of objects, the ivory. Unlike Kurtz, Marlow was able to withstand the darkness from controlling him. Kurtz soul became the darkness and caused him to forget everything else there was to life. His last words were not that of love but rather of hate, "The horrors the horrors."
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is a story about a man named Marlow and his Journey into the African Congo. By reading the novel and understanding all the imagery Conrad has inserted, we can get a better understanding of the journey Marlow took through his soul. Conrad uses light and dark imagery in the setting, symbols and characters to help us understand the kind of people Marlow and Kurtz were, and to get a better understanding of The Congo.

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The wilderness in the Heart Of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is much more than just a backdrop for the action of the story but is directly related to the title of the book. Throughout the story and through Marlow’s eyes, the wilderness is its own character and that character represents the darkness in every man’s heart. Seeing the wilderness entirely through Marlow’s eyes allows for an interesting combination of fascination and horror. At the beginning of the book Marlow speaks of the blank spaces on the map as “a blank space of delightful mystery – a white patch for a boy to dream gloriously over” (8).

Marlow expresses that his longing to travel where no one has ever traveled before and to experience true wilderness has always lived deep down inside him and his trip up the Congo River is as close as he will ever get to that. Very quickly Marlow’s excitement about the wilderness turns into a cautious fear. He describes the wilderness when he is at the central station as a “rioting invasion of soundless life, a rolling wave of plants, piled up, crested, ready to… sweep every little man of us out of his little existence” (49).

Marlow doesn’t really mean that the wilderness was trying to kill off every man but, maybe what he meant was it was trying to kill every “civilized” man. The natives were a part of nature and fit in because they were simple, “… they had bone, muscle, a wild vitality, and intense energy of movement, that was as natural and true as the surf along

their cost. They wanted no excuse for being there” (21). Due to the fact that the pilgrims were civilized and more complex, the wilderness acted almost like a mirror or a reflection of what they truly were and because of that, it was dark and dangerous to them.

The wilderness has no structure and there aren’t any restraints upon the behaviors of any of the pilgrims. This environment is so different than the European society that these men are used to that they constantly have to battle to maintain sanity without society or civilization to keep them under control. It is interesting to note that those who “maintained their sanity” stuck out the most in the wilderness such as the chief accountant which Marlow regards highly. “… in the great demoralization of the land he kept up his appearance.

That’s backbone. His starched collars and got-up shirt-fronts were achievements of character” (28). This is to say that somehow by maintaining his impeccable appearance the chief accountant at the government station is somehow more in control of his sanity. I would argue that the chief accountant is more like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole because his appearance doesn’t help him at all in the wilderness but yet the European civilization held such an act as admirable.

Marlow himself has to face the harsh reality of what the wilderness is showing him; at first he doesn’t mesh at all with the rawness of the natives but then he admits to a remote kinship of “passionate uproar”. He began to sense a connection with the wilderness but he never fully committed like Kurtz did. Kurtz is

a great example of what the wilderness brought out in men. As soon as Kurtz let go of society and civilization and succumbed to the wilderness he lost his sanity, at least according to civilized society. The wilderness brings out the savagery and darkness in his heart.

All principles and morals of the European society are irrelevant to Kurtz and some of the things he did were so horrible that Marlow couldn’t even bear to explain. “… such details would be more intolerable than those heads drying on the stakes under Mr. Kurtz’s windows…. I seemed at one bound to have been transported into some lightless region of subtle horrors…” (98). The full significance of what the wilderness brought out of Kurtz is really the best example in the book of what the effects of a world without rules can create, a monster.

Marlow even says “… the wilderness… seemed to draw him to its pitiless breast by the awakening of forgotten and brutal instincts, by the memory of gratifies and monstrous passions… this alone had beguiled his unlawful soul beyond the bounds of permitted aspirations. ” (112). The fall of Kurtz isn’t just an example of one crazy guy but yet it is an example of mankind and its desire to raw and savage. The wilderness is more than just a backdrop for the action of the story but yet is an underlying theme that deep down, man doesn’t want the restraints of a civilized society.

The natives of the land are happy and so simple that nothing seems to bother them but yet the European men are the ones that are unhappy and pretentious. With this

said the last words of Kurtz “The Horror! The Horror! ” isn’t just Kurtz looking back on himself but realizing that all mankind’s true desire is to succumb to such a life that he lived; to live a life of savagery and without restraint. Using himself as an example, he realized that a world without rules and a world without restraints would truly be a horror. The wilderness represents the darkness in every man’s heart.

Heart of Darkness essay Sample 5

"There is...a machine. It evolved itself...and behold!--it knits....It knits us in and it knits us out. It has knitted time, space, pain, death, corruption, despair and all the illusions--and nothing matters.

three evident themes include death, corruption, and despair. During Marlow's journey into the "heart of darkness," death, corruption, and despair became the manifest themes of the novel. First of all, Marlow came face to face with death several times throughout his voyage. Marlow finds out about the death of Kurtz, the climax of the novel, when the manager's boy said to Marlow, "Mistah Kurtzhe dead" (Conrad 64). Another death occurs when the attack on the steamer leaves the helmsmen dead with "the shaft of a spear in the side just below the ribs" (Conrad 64). Marlow decides to "tip him overboard" because "if his late helmsmen was to be eaten, the fishes alone should have him. He had been a very second-rate helmsmen" (Conrad 47). Second, corruption overshadowed all other themes as the major theme of the novel. As Marlow's journey progresses, the corruption of the trading business becomes increasingly obvious. Kurtz "had collected, bartered, swindled, or

stolen more ivory than all the other agents together" (Conrad 43). Despite his reputation as a thief and a swindler, people in the ivory trading business regarded Kurtz as a "first-class agent" and "a very remarkable person" (Conrad 16). In addition, when Marlow came to Kurtz's station to trade with him, "Kurtz ordered an attack to be made on the steamer" (Conrad 58), even though Marlow came in peace. Finally, Marlow sees the despair of the existence of humans while in the "heart of darkness." When Kurtz lay on his deathbed, Marlow "saw on that ivory face the expression of somber pride, of ruthless power, of craven terrorof an intense and hopeless despair" (Conrad 64). Also, the manager told Marlow that Kurtz "suffered too much. He hated all this, and somehow he couldn't get away. When I had a chance I begged him to try and leave while there was time; I offered to go back with him. And he would say yes, and then he would remain; go off on another ivory hunt" (Conrad 51-52). Clearly, Marlow saw death, corruption, and despair in the "heart of darkness." In all, Conrad used his own experiences and his views on life as the basis for this novel. He used his experiences from his journey down the Congo River on a steamer for the basic plot of the novel. In addition, the themes of death, corruption, and despair describe the fatalistic attitude of Conrad. He saw these themes at the heart of human existence, and Marlow confronts them in the "heart of darkness."
The "heart of darkness" can be a symbolic journey into the dark center of the

heart and soul of a human, revealing the concealed evil of ones own nature and his capacity for evil. It is a psychological exploration of the inner self; it reflects the unconscious self of a human.

Marlow does not get the opportunity to see Kurtz until he is so disease-stricken he looks more like death than a person. There are no good looks or health. In the story Marlow remarks that Kurtz resembles "an animated image of death carved out of old ivory."
The manager, in charge of three stations in the jungle, feels Kurtz poses a threat to his own position. Marlow sees how the manager is deliberately trying to delay any help or supplies to Kurtz. He hopes he will die of neglect. This is where the inciting moment of the story lies. Should the company in Belgium find out the truth a bout Kurtz's success in an ivory procurer, they would undoubtedly elevate him to the position of manager. The manager's insidious and pretending nature opposes all truth (Roberts,42).
When Marlow expresses doubts about the nature of the work, she replies, You forget, dear Charlie, that the labourer is worthy of his hire.

Heart of Darkness essay Sample 6

In Joseph Conrad's book Heart of Darkness the Europeans are cut off from civilization, overtaken by greed, exploitation, and material interests from his own kind. Conrad develops themes of personal power, individual responsibility, and social justice. His book has all the trappings of the conventional adventure tale - mystery, exotic setting, escape, suspense, unexpected attack. The book is a record of things seen and done by Conrad while in

the Belgian Congo. Conrad uses Marlow, the main character in the book, as a narrator so he himself can enter the story and tell it out of his own philosophical mind. Conrad's voyages to the Atlantic and Pacific, and the coasts of Seas of the East brought contrasts of novelty and exotic discovery. By the time Conrad took his harrowing journey into the Congo in 1890, reality had become unconditional. The African venture figured as his descent into hell. He returned ravaged by the illness and mental disruption which undermined his health for the remaining years of his life. Marlow's journey into the Congo, like Conrad's journey, was also meaningful. Marlow experienced the violent threat of nature, the insensibility of reality, and the moral darkness.

We have noticed that important motives in Heart of Darkness connect the white men with the Africans. Conrad knew that the white men who come to Africa professing to bring progress and light to "darkest Africa" have themselves been deprived of the sanctions of their European social orders; they also have been alienated from the old tribal ways.

"Thrown upon their own inner spiritual resources they may be utterly damned by their greed, their sloth, and their hypocrisy into moral insignificance, as were the pilgrims, or they may be so corrupt by their absolute power over the Africans that some Marlow will need to lay their memory among the 'dead Cats of Civilization.'" (Conrad 105.) The supposed purpose of the Europeans traveling into Africa was to civilize the natives. Instead they colonized on the native's land and corrupted the natives.

"Africans bound with thongs that contracted in the rain and cut to the

bone, had their swollen hands beaten with rifle butts until they fell off. Chained slaves were forced to drink the white man's defecation, hands and feet were chopped off for their rings, men were lined up behind each other and shot with one cartridge , wounded prisoners were eaten by maggots till they die and were then thrown to starving dogs or devoured by cannibal tribes." (Meyers 100.) Conrad's "Diary" substantiated the accuracy of the conditions described in Heart of Darkness: the chain gangs, the grove of death, the payment in brass rods, the cannibalism and the human skulls on the fence posts. Conrad did not exaggerate or invent the horrors that provided the political and humanitarian basis for his attack on colonialism. The Europeans took the natives' land away from them by force. They burned their towns, stole their property, and enslaved them. George Washington Williams stated in his diary, "Mr. Stanley was supposed to have made treaties with more than four hundred native Kings and Chiefs, by which they surrendered their rights to the soil. And yet many of these people declare that they never made a treaty with Stanley, or any other white man; their lands have been taken away from them by force, and they suffer the greatest wrongs at the hands of the Belgians." (Conrad 87.) Conrad saw intense greed in the Congo. The Europeans back home saw otherwise; they perceived that the tons of ivory and rubber being brought back home was a sign of orderly conduct in the Congo. Conrad's Heart of Darkness mentioned nothing about the trading of rubber. Conrad

and Marlow did not care for ivory; they

cared about the exploration into the "darkest Africa." A painting of a blindfolded woman carrying a lighted torch was discussed in the book. The background was dark, and the effect of the torch light on her face was sinister. The oil painting represents the blind and stupid ivory company, fraudulently letting people believe that besides the ivory they were taking out of the jungle, they were, at the same time, bringing light and progress to the jungle.Conrad mentioned in his diary that missions were set up to Christianize the natives. He did not include the missions into his book because the land was forcibly taken away from the natives, thus bringing in a church does not help if the natives have no will. Supplies brought in the country were left outdoors and abandoned, and a brick maker who made no bricks, lights up the fact that the Europeans do not care to help the natives progress. When Marlow reached the first station, he saw what used to be tools and supplies, that were to help progress the land, laid in waste upon the ground.

"I came upon a boiler wallowing in the grass, then found a path leading up the hill. It turned aside for the boulders and also for an undersized railway truck lying there on its back with its wheels in the air.... I came upon more pieces of decaying machinery, a stack of rust rails.... No change appeared on the face of the rock. They were building a railway. The cliff was not in the way of anything, but this objectless blasting was all the work going on." (Conrad 19.)

George Washington Williams wrote

in his diary that three and a half years passed by, but not one mile of road bed or train tracks was made. "One's cruelty is one's power; and when one parts with one's cruelty, one parts with one's power," says William Congreve, author of The Way of the World. (Tripp 206.) The Europeans forcibly took away the natives' land and then enslaved them. All the examples given are part of one enormous idea of cruelty - cruelty that the European white men believe because its victims are helpless. These are mystical revelations of man's dark self.

Bibliography

1. Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness: Backgrounds and Criticisms.

New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1960.

2. Meyers, Jeffrey. Joseph Conrad. New York: Charles Scribner's

Sons, 1991.

3. Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness 3rd ed. Ed. Robert Kimbrough.

New York: Norton Critical, 1988.

4. Williams, George Washington. A Report upon the Congo - State and

Country to the President of the Republic of the United States of

America. Heart of Darkness. By Joseph Conrad 3rd ed. Ed. Robert

Kimbrough. New York: Norton Critical 1988. 87.

5. Tripp, Rhoda Thomas. Thesaurus of Quotations. New York: Thomas

Y. Crowell, 1970.

Heart of Darkness essay Sample 7

Conrad's novel, Heart of Darkness, relies on the historical period of imperialism in order to describe its protagonist, Charlie Marlow, and his struggle. Marlow's catharsis in the novel, as he goes to the Congo, rests on how he visualizes the effects of imperialism. This paper will analyze Marlow's "change," as caused by his exposure to the imperialistic nature of the historical period in which he lived.

Marlow is asked by "the company", the organization for whom he works, to travel to the Congo

river and report back to them about Mr. Kurtz, a top notch officer of theirs. When he sets sail, he doesn't know what to expect. When his journey is completed, this little "trip" will have changed Marlow forever!

Heart of Darkness is a story of one man's journey through the African Congo and the "enlightenment" of his soul. It begins withCharlie Marlow, along with a few of his comrades, cruising aboard the Nellie, a traditional sailboat. On the boat, Marlow begins to tell of his experiences in the Congo. Conrad uses Marlow to reveal all the personal thoughts and emotions that he wants to portray while Marlow goes on this "voyage of a lifetime".

Marlow begins his voyage as an ordinary English sailor who is traveling to the African Congo on a "business trip". He is an Englishmen through and through. He's never been exposed to any alternative form of culture, similar to the one he will encounter in Africa, and he has no idea about the drastically different culture that exists out there.

Throughout the book, Conrad, via Marlow's observations, reveals to the reader the naive mentality shared by every European. Marlow as well, shares this naivet in the beginning of his voyage. However, after his first few moments in the Congo, he realizes the ignorance he and all his comrades possess. We first recognize the general naivet of the Europeans when Marlow's aunt is seeing him for the last time before he embarks on his journey. Marlow's aunt is under the assumption that the voyage is a mission to "wean those ignorant millions from their horrid ways"(18-19). In reality, however, the Europeans are there in the

name of imperialism and their sole objective is to earn a substantial profit by collecting all the ivory in Africa.

Another manifestation of the Europeans obliviousness towards reality is seen when Marlow is recounting his adventure aboard the Nellie. He addresses his comrades who are on board saying:

"When you have to attend to things of that sort, to the mere incidents of the surface, the reality-the reality I tell you---fades. The inner truth is hidden luckily, luckily. But I felt it all the same; I felt often its mysterious stillness watching over me at my monkey tricks, just as it watches you fellows performing on your respective tight ropes for---what is it? half a crown a tumble---(56)."

What Marlow is saying is that while he is in the Congo, although he has to concentrate on the petty little everyday things, such as overseeing the repair of his boat, he is still aware of what is going on around him and of the horrible reality in which he is in the midst of. On the other hand, his friends on the boat simply don't know of these realities. It is their ignorance, as well as their innocence which provokes them to say "Try to be civil, Marlow"(57).

Not only are they oblivious to the reality which Marlow is exposed to, but their naivet is so great, they can't even comprehend a place where this 'so called' reality would even be a bad dream! Hence, their response is clearly rebuking the words of a "savage" for having said something so ridiculous and "uncivilized".

Quite surprisingly, this mentality does not pertain exclusively to the Englishmen in Europe. At one point during Marlow's

voyage down the Congo, his boat hits an enormous patch of fog. At that very instant, a "very loud cry" is let out(66). After Marlow looks around and makes sure everything is all right, he observes the contrasts of the whites and the blacks expressions.

It was very curious to see the contrast of expression of the white men and of the black fellows of our crew, who were as much strangers to this part of the river as we, though their homes were only eight hundred miles away. The whites, of course greatly discomposed, had besides a curious look of being painfully shocked by such an outrageous row. The others had an alert, naturally interested expression; but their faces were essentially quiet. . . (67).

Once again, we see the simple-mindedness of the Europeans, even if they were exposed to reality. Their mentality is engraved in their minds and is so impliable, that even the environment of the Congo can't sway their belief that people simply don't do the horrible things Marlow recounts. The whites are dumbfounded and can not comprehend how people, in this case the natives, would simply attack these innocent people. That would just be wrong! The blacks, however, who are cognizant of the reality in which they live, are "essentially quiet". They feel right at home, and are not phased by the shriek.

Similarly, the difference of mentalities is shown when Marlow speaks of the portion of his crew who are cannibals. While in themidst of his journey, Marlow, quite casually, converses with these cannibals; even about their animalistic ways! As Jacques Berthoud said so accurately in his Joseph Conrad, "what would be

nspeakable horror in London...becomes, on the Congo river, an unremarkable topic of conversation..."(47). These "unspeakable horrors" are hardly unspeakable in the Congo because they are normal occurrences there.

On the Nellie, Marlow explains to his comrades, the basic difference between living in Europe, and being in the Congo. He states:

"You can't understand. How could you? With solid pavement under your feet, surrounded by kind neighbors ready to cheer youor to fall you, stepping delicately between the butcher and the policeman, in the holy terror of scandal and gallows and lunatic asylums---how can you imagine what particular region of the first ages a man's untrammeled feet may take him into by the way of solitude---utter solitude without a policeman---by the way of silence utter silence, where no warning voice of a kind neighbor can be heard whispering of public opinion(82)?"

In Europe, there are "kind neighbors" who are there to make sure that everything is all right. The European lives his life "stepping delicately between the butcher and the policeman". Everywhere he looks, there is always someone there who can "catch him if he is falling". On the other hand, once a man enters the Congo, he is all alone. No policeman, no "warning voice of a kind neighbor"...no one!

It is now when Marlow enters the Congo and begins his voyage, that he realizes the environment he comes from is not reality, and the only way he is going to discover reality is to keep going up the river...

There is one specific theme in Heart of Darkness in which the reader can follow Marlow's evolution from the "everyday European" to a man who realizes his own naivet and

finally to his uncovering of his own reality. This evolution comes about as a direct result of Marlow's observations of how things are named. This sounds very unusual, that a man would find his true reality by observing the names of certain things. However, it is precisely these observations which change Marlow forever. Marlow first realizes the European's flaw of not being able to give something a name of significance, in the beginning of his voyage, when he has not quite reached the Congo, but he is extremely close.

Once, I remember, we came upon a man of war anchored off the coast. There wasn't even a shed there, and she was shelling the bush. It appears the French had one of their wars going on there-abouts. Her ensign dropped like a limp rag; the muzzles of the long six inch guns stuck out all over the low hull; the greasy, slimy swell swung her up lazily and let her down, swaying her thin masts. In the empty immensity of earth, sky, and water, there she was, incomprehensible, firing into a continent. Pop, would go one of the six inch guns; a small flame would dart and vanish, a little white smoke would disappear, a tiny projectile would give a feeble screech---and nothing happened. Nothing could happen. There was a touch of insanity in the proceeding, a sense of lugubrious drollery in the sight; and it was not dissipated by somebody on board assuring me earnestly there was a camp of natives---he called them enemies!---hidden out of sight somewhere (21).

Conrad is teaching us something extremely important. Berthoud points out that the "intelligibility of what men do

depends upon the context in which they do it." Marlow is watching this occurrence.

He sees the Europeans firing "tiny projectiles" and their cannons producing a "pop". The Europeans, however, see themselves fighting an all out war against the savage enemies in the name of imperialism! The Europeans feel that this is an honorable battle, and therefore, all get emotionally excited and fight with all they have. Marlow, however, sees it differently. He is now in Africa where reality broods. It's lurking everywhere. The only thing one has to do to find it is open his mind to new and previously 'unheard' of ideas. He looks at this event and reduces it from the European's image of a supposedly intense battle, with smoke and enemies everywhere, to a futile firing of "tiny projectiles "into an empty forest. For the first time, Marlow recognizes the falsity of the European mentality, and their inability to characterize an event for what it is. At the end of the passage, his fellow European crewmember is assuring Marlow that the allied ship is defeating the "enemies", and that they just couldn't see the "enemies" because they were "hidden out of sight somewhere". In actuality, they're shooting at innocent natives who have probably fled from the area of battle already. Marlow is beginning to realize that "what makes sense in Europe no longer makes sense in Africa"(Berthoud. 46).

With that passage, Conrad informs the reader of Marlow's realization. From that point on, Marlow is looking to corroborate if in actuality, the mentality instilled upon him in Europe is similar to this, or if those are atypical Europeans who are living in a dream

world. As the novel continues, Marlow recognizes that this flaw of not being able to see something for what it is, and in turn, not being able to give it an accurate "label", is indeed "the European way".

There are some names given by the Europeans that simply don't fit the characteristic of the object being named. Marlow points out that the name 'Kurtz' means short in German. However, at Marlow's first glance at Kurtz, he remarks how Kurtz appears to be "seven feet long"(101). Conrad shows us, through Marlow's observation, how Kurtz's name is just a blatant oxy-moron. Marlow recognizes yet another obvious misrepresentation. Marlow meets a man who is called the "bricklayer". However, as Marlow himself points out, "there wasn't a fragment of a brick anywhere in the station"(39).

During his voyage, however, Marlow doesn't only observe this misnaming, but realizes the importance of a name. While overhearing a conversation between the manager of the station and his uncle, he hears Mr. Kurtz being refereed to as "that man"(53). Although Marlow hasn't met Kurtz yet, he has heard of his greatness. He now realizes that by these men calling him "that man", they strip him of all his attributes. When one hears Kurtz, they think of a " very remarkable person"(39). These men are now, by not referring to him by his name, denying Kurtz's accomplishments.

This same idea of distorting a person's character by changing his name is displayed elsewhere. The Europeans apply the terms 'enemy' and 'criminals' to the natives. In actuality, they are simply "bewildered and helpless victims...and moribund shadows"(Berthoud. 46). Clearly, the injustice done by the simple misnaming of someone is unbelievable.

After witnessing all of these names which bare no true meaning, as well as possibly degrade a person's character, Marlow understands that he can not continue in his former ways of mindlessly giving random names to something in fear of diminishing the essence of the recipient. As a result, Marlow finds himself unable to label something for what it is. While under attack, Marlow reefers to the arrows being shot in his direction as "sticks, little sticks", and a spear being thrown at his boat "a long cane"(75--77). When Marlow arrives at the inner station, he sees "slim posts...in a row" with their "ends ornamented with round carved balls"(88). In truth, these are poles with skulls on top of them. Marlow can formulate a name even for the simplest of things.

Taking a step back and looking at his voyage, Marlow realizes the insignificant, mindless, meaningless 'labels' which the Europeans use to identify with something, and he wants to be able to "give to experience, names that have some substance". At this point, he is similar to Adam in the Garden of Eden who is "watching the parade of nameless experience" go by. However, Marlow is missing an essential thing which Adam possessed. As opposed to Adam, who was delegated by G-d to name experiences, Marlow lacked this authority to name. It is Kurtz who will become this authority, and eventually teach Marlow the essence of a name(Johnson. 76).

Mr. Kurtz is the Chief of the Inner Station. He is a "universal genius, a prodigy, an emissary of pity science and progress"(40-45). It is Kurtz who will teach Marlow what a name is, for one simple reason...

"The

man presented himself as a voice...of all his gifts, the one that stood out preeminently, that carried with it a sense of real presence, was his ability to talk, his words---the gift of expression, the bewildering, the illuminating...(79)."

Kurtz was "little more than a voice"(80), but there was no one with a voice like his. He could speak with remarkable eloquence, he could write with such precision... he could name with true meaning! "You don't talk with that manKurtz, you listen to him"(90)! Marlow has heard enough about Kurtz, in this case from his devoted pupil, to know that it is he who can provide Marlow with the authority to offer "correct and substantial names"(Johnson. 76).

Indeed, Kurtz gives Marlow everything Marlow is looking for. However, he does it in a very unconventional way. Kurtz teaches Marlow the lesson with his last words. "The horror! The horror!"(118). These last words are Kurtz's own judgment, judgment on the life which he has lived. He is barbarous, unscrupulous, and possibly even evil. However, he has evaluated at his life, and he has "pronounced a judgment upon the adventures of his soul on this earth"(118). Marlow sees Kurtz "open his mouth wide---it gave him a weirdly voracious aspect, as though he wanted to swallow all the air, all the earth, all the men before him..."(101). Kurtz takes everything in. He takes his life, and puts it all out on the table. "He had summed up--- he had judged...The horror!"(119).

Kurtz's last words is his way of teaching Marlow the essence of a name. A name is not merely a label. It is one man's own judgment of an isolated event. However,

unlike the Europeans who judge based on already existing principles which they have 'acquired', Kurtz taught Marlow to look inside of himself and to judge based on his own subjective creeds. While Marlow is recounting the story, he says to his comrades:

"He must meet that truth with his own true stuff---with his own inborn strength. Principles won't do. Acquisitions, clothes, prettyrags---rags that would fly off at the first good shake. No; you want a deliberate belief. An appeal to me in this fiendish row---is there? Very well; I hear; I admit, but have a voice too, and for good or evil mine is the voice that can not be silenced (60)."

This is the lesson which Marlow has learned. Objective standards alone will not lead one to recognize the reality in something. One can not only depend on anther's principles to find his reality in something because they have not had to bear the pain and responsibility of creating it. Principles are usually acquisitions, which like other things we acquire rather than generate, like clothes are easily shaken off. The power of speech which will sustain a man is the power to create or affirm for one's self a deliberate, or a chosen belief (Bruce Johnson. 79).

This judgment must be from one's own internal strengths. That is why Marlow says, "for good or evil, mine is the speech that can not be silenced". As Kurtz has taught him with his own judgment, a judgment of truth overpowers morality. To find one's own reality, one must not rely solely on other people's morality, others people's 'principles' and he must assess his own life. What Kurtz did is

that he showed that regardless of whether the truth is good or bad, one must face up to his reality. He must face up to his own actions even when the conclusion is "the horror", and by doing so, he will find his true reality.

Marlow understands that being true to yourself is not following anther's moral code, but being able to judge one's self honestly and uncover their own reality. It is because of this understanding that Marlow claims that Kurtz's last words is "a moral victory paid for by innumerable defeats..."(120). Despite Kurtz's immoral ways, he is victorious because he didn't run away from the truth; and that is his moral victory. He is true to himself.!

On his voyage, Marlow notices at one of the stations, a picture that Kurtz had drawn when he was there. It is a "sketch in oils on a panel representing a woman draped and blindfolded, carrying a lighted torch. The background was sombre---almost black"(40). At the time, Marlow didn't really know what it meant. However, this is a precise representation of Kurtz himself. Firstly, the background was "sombre---almost black". This is a manifestation of Kurtz because his life is full of darkness. He kills, he steals, and he is worshipped as a god. Kurtz cannot be without blackness and survive. In addition, the picture displays the lesson itself. It is a picture of the lady of justice holding a torch. This is Kurtz's role. Unlike Europe, which imposes their principles upon others, he is merely there to "illuminate"(79). Kurtz is there to expand the peoples minds, to introduce them to a broad new spectrum of reality. However, he

does not impose his own reality upon them. Hence, he is blindfolded in the picture. To him, they make a subjective decision and they find their own truth, regardless of what that truth may be. That is his lesson.

Eventually Marlow realizes that Kurtz's picture was in essence, a self portrait. The same thing which Kurtz conveyed with 'the horror', he conveyed with this picture. Marlow's realization is evident with this remark. "I don't like work---no man does---but I like what's in the work---the chance to find yourself. Your own reality---for yourself, not for others"(47).

Marlow learns the essence of 'naming' and understands what it means to 'be yourself'. However, Marlow has encountered two extremes. The European mentality, which is completely oblivious to reality, and Kurtz, a man who has found his reality, but it is one of horror and no restraint from any wrongdoing. He is now returning to his home to deal with his former world, however, he now possesses his new 'understanding'. Marlow cannot return to his previous 'European ways' simply because he has 'been enlightened' and lost his naivet.

However, why can't he adapt Kurtz's ways and live the other extreme? At one point, Marlow had "peeped over the edge"(119). Why didn't he 'jump over'? Marlow is repelled from joining Kurtz for several reasons. Firstly, Kurtz had "kicked himself loose from the earth...he had kicked the earth to pieces. He was alone, and IMarlow before him did not know whether I stood on the ground or floated in the air"(112). Kurtz had denied any sort of moral convictions in order to be worshipped as a god. Because of this unmonitered power, Kurtz lost all

sense of restraint and became the savage that he was. Marlow, however, has not lost his sense of morality. What Marlow rejected in Kurtz was the "complete absence in Kurtz of any innate or transcendental sanctions" (Johnson. 99).

It is because of Marlow's rejection of both the Europeans, who Marlow claims are full of "stupid importance", and of Kurtz'sinability to establish his own moral code, that Marlow chooses an "alternative reality"(Berthoud. 60). The first time the reader witnesses Marlow's choice and becomes a centrist, is when he first gets back to Europe. Marlow finds himself resenting the way the Europeans went about their life, "hurrying through the streets to filch a little money from each other..."(120).Not only did he find their lives meaningless, but he mocked them to himself. "I had no particular desire to enlighten them, but I had some difficulty restraining myself from laughing in their faces so full of stupid importance... I tottered about the streets...grinning bitterly at perfectly respectable people. I admit my behavior was inexcusable..." (120). Although Marlow looked down upon these Europeans, he says something remarkable. He judged his own actions and found them 'inexcusable'. This is his manifestation of breaking away from Kurtz's extreme. Unlike Kurtz who lacked all restraint and would never find looking down on people bad, Marlow realized that he couldn't hold it against them simply because they didn't know better. Clearly, Marlow is edging toward a 'middle ground'.

Despite this act of judgment, the reader doesn't know exactly where Marlow stands. However, Marlow does something that is the quintessential act of affirmation that he has chose the middle of the two extremes. While aboard the Nellie,

Marlow tells his comrades that "I hate, detest, and can't bear a lie...simply because it appalls me.

There is a taint of death, a flavor of mortality in lies..."(44). Towards the end of the novel, Marlow is invited by Kurtz's fiancee to go to her house to speak of her beloved Kurtz. Upon her asking Marlow what his last words were, Marlow responded "The last word he pronounced was---your name"(131). He lies to her. He does something he utterly detests. This is the event that convinces the reader of Marlow's uptaking of a middle position. He does look inside himself and use his own personal ability to judge this event. He does what Kurtz had told him. Despite his abhorrence of lies, he judges this situation and decides that it was right to lie. However, he is different from Kurtz. Kurtz did judge every event independently, however, he does it solely based on his own whims. He could not incorporate any objective principles whatsoever in making his decision. Marlow does judge every event independently, however, he can not rely solely on his own creeds. Regardless of his decision, he will always incorporate some objective principles into his judgment. Marlow now creates his 'alternative reality' and achieves his truth.

When Marlow was exposed to the imperialistic environment of the congo, it had a tremendous effect upon him. The protagonist of Conrad's novel undergoes a drastic change in response to his environment, common only to that specific time period. Kurtz shows Marlow the flaws in the Europeans imperialistic ideals. Kurtz sees the meaninglessness of European standards of the time, and therefore changes his entire perception and behavior.

darkness essay"}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":1063873,"3":{"1":0},"9":0,"10":0,"11":3,"12":0,"14":[null,2,3355443],"15":""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif","16":11,"23":2}">Heart of Darkness essay Sample 8

In Heart of Darkness it is the white invaders for instance, who are, almost without exception, embodiments of blindness, selfishness, and cruelty; and even in the cognitive domain, where such positive phrases as "to enlighten," for instance, are conventionally opposed to negative ones such as "to be in the dark," the traditional expectations are reversed. In Kurtz's painting, as we have seen, "the effect of the torch light on the face was sinister" (Watt 332).

Ian Watt, author of "Impressionism and Symbolism in Heart of Darkness," discusses about the destruction set upon the Congo by Europeans. The destruction set upon the Congo by Europeans led to the cry of Kurtz's last words, "The horror! The horror!" The horror in Heart of Darkness has been critiqued to represent different aspects of situations in the book. However, Kurtz's last words "The horror! The horror!" refer, to me, to magnify only three major aspects. The horror magnifies Kurtz not being able to restrain himself, the colonizers' greed, and Europe's darkness.

Kurtz comes to the Congo with noble intentions. He thought that each ivory station should stand like a beacon light, offering a better way of life to the natives. He was considered to be a "universal genius": he was an orator, writer, poet, musician, artist, politician, ivory producer, and chief agent of the ivory company's Inner Station. yet, he was also a "hollow man," a man without basic integrity or any sense of social responsibility. "Kurtz issues the feeble cry, 'The horror! The horror!' and the man of vision, of poetry, the 'emissary of pity, and science, and progress'

is gone. The jungle closes' round" (Labrasca 290). Kurtz being cut off from civilization reveals his dark side. Once he entered within his "heart of darkness" he was shielded from the light. Kurtz turned into a thief, murderer, raider, persecutor, and to climax all of his other shady practices, he allows himself to be worshipped as a god. E. N. Dorall, author of "Conrad and Coppola: Different Centers of Darkness," explains Kurtz's loss of his identity.

Daring to face the consequences of his nature, he loses his identity; unable to be totally beast and never able to be fully human, he alternates between trying to return to the jungle and recalling in grotesque terms his former idealism. Kurtz discovered, A voice! A voice! It rang deep to the very last. It survived his strength to hide in the magnificent folds of eloquence the barren darkness of his heart.... But both the diabolic love and the unearthly hate of the mysteries it had penetrated fought for the possession of that soul satiated with primitive emotions, avid of lying, fame, of sham distinction, of all the appearances of success and power. Inevitably Kurtz collapses, his last words epitomizing his experience, The horror! The horror! (Dorall 306).

The horror to Kurtz is about self realization; about the mistakes he committed while in Africa.

The colonizers' cruelty towards the natives and their lust for ivory also is spotlighted in Kurtz's horror. The white men who came to the Congo professing to bring progress and light to "darkest Africa" have themselves been deprived of the sanctions of their European social orders. The supposed purpose of the colonizers' traveling into Africa was to civilize

the natives. Instead the Europeans took the natives' land away from them by force. They burned their towns, stole their property, and enslaved them. "Enveloping the horror of Kurtz is the Congo Free State of Leopold II, totally corrupt though to all appearances established to last for a long time" (Dorall 309). The conditions described in Heart of Darkness reflect the horror of Kurtz's words: the chain gangs, the grove of death, the payment in brass rods, the cannibalism and the human skulls on the fence posts.

Africans bound with thongs that contracted in the rain and cut to the bone, had their swollen hands beaten with rifle butts until they fell off. Chained slaves were forced to drink the white man's defecation, hands and feet were chopped off for their rings, men were lined up behind each other and shot with one cartridge, wounded prisoners were eaten by maggots till they died and were then thrown to starving dogs or devoured by cannibal tribes (Meyers 100).

The colonizers enslaved the natives to do their biding; the cruelty practiced on the black workers were of the white man's mad and greedy rush for ivory. "The unredeemable horror in the tale is the duplicity, cruelty, and venality of Europeans officialdom" (Levenson 401).

Civilization is only preserved by maintaining illusions. Juliet Mclauchlan, author of "The Value and Significance of Heart of Darkness," stated that every colonizer in Africa is to blame for the horror which took place within.

Kurtz's moral judgment applies supremely to his own soul, but his final insight is all encompassing; looking upon humanity in full awareness of his own degradation, he projects his debasement, failure, and hatred

universally. Realizing that any human soul may be fascinated, held irresistible, by what it rightly hates, his stare is "wide enough to embrace the whole universe," wide and immense.... embracing, condemning, loathing all the universe (Mclauchlan 384).

The darkness of Africa collides with the evils of Europe upon Kurtz's last words. Kurtz realized that all he had been taught to believe in, to operate from, was a mass of horror and greed standardized by the colonizers. As you recall in Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Kurtz painted a painting releasing his knowledge of the horror and what is to come. A painting of a blindfolded woman carrying a lighted torch was discussed in the book. The background was dark, and the effect of the torch light on her face was sinister. The oil painting suggests the blind and stupid ivory company, fraudulently letting people believe that besides the ivory they were taking out of the jungle, they were, at the same time, bringing light and progress to the jungle.

Kurtz, stripped away of his culture by the greed of other Europeans, stands both literally and figuratively naked. He has lost all restraint in himself and has lived off the land like an animal. He has been exposed to desire, yet cannot comprehend it. His horror tells us his mistakes and that of Europe's. His mistakes of greed for ivory, his mistakes of lust for a mistress and his mistakes of assault on other villages, were all established when he was cut off from civilization. When Conrad wrote what Kurtz's last words were to be, he did not exaggerate or invent the horrors that provided the political and humanitarian

basis for his attack on colonialism.

Conrad's Kurtz mouths his last words, "The horror! The horror!" as a message to himself and, through Marlow, to the world. However, he did not really explain the meaning of his words to Marlow before his exit. Through Marlow's summary and moral reactions, we come to realize the possibilities of the meaning rather than a definite meaning. "The message means more to Marlow and the readers than it does to Kurtz," says William M. Hagen, in "Heart of Darkness and the Process of Apocalypse Now." "The horror" to Kurtz became the nightmare between Europe and Africa. To Marlow, Kurtz's last words came through what he saw and experienced along the way into the Inner Station. To me, Kurtz's horror shadows every human, who has some form of darkness deep within their heart, waiting to be unleashed. "The horror that has been perpetrated, the horror that descends as judgment, either in this pitiless and empty death or in whatever domination there could be to come" (Stewart 366). Once the horror was unleashed, there was no way of again restraining it.

Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness Sample 9

This excerpt taken from Part I of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness depicts Marlow's encounter as he witnesses a group of black prisoners walking along in chains under the guard of another black man, who wears a shoddy uniform and carries a rifle.

* Thesis: Through the implementation of explicit imagery, symbolic references and representations along with selective diction, Conrad portrays a struggling foreboding atmosphere of imprisonment while emphasising order.Imagery* Images used throughout this section depict a struggling, war-like, foreboding atmosphere* "The thing looked dead as the

carcass of some animal" - explicit image of a dead animal, not moving with back against the ground, choice of diction used fits the mood of the passage and the reader gets a sharp image painted in their head* "decaying machinery, a sack of rusty nails" - worn out machinery (used in war), once again war images(visual imagery)* Auditory / visual imagery: "the horn tooted to the right, I saw the black people run"* Visual / auditory - how he describes the black slaves as they walk - "walked erect and slow...

and the clink kept time with their footsteps": very orderly, similar to a soldier, enforce the war-like images* Engages the reader emotionally with visual imagery - "I could see every rib, the joints of their limbs were like knots in a rope"* "iron collar", "connected together by a swing", they were walking orderly, they were criminals and as such were chained to maintain order and civility* "Bursting shells" - auditory imagery, loud aggressive, violent, representing struggle.Symbolism* The chain, the iron collar symbolic of their powerlessness and state of imprisonment* The rifle symbolic for authority as one black man holds it as the criminals walk in an orderly line* The rusted, old, used, decaying machinery symbolises a war-like scenery; a war that these criminals have appeared to have lost* Most of the symbolic references Conrad makes throughout this passage amplify the imprisonment, struggle, and chaos that reaps havoc but he also uses symbolic references and representations to demonstrate order and civility such as the aforementioned use of the chains that bound all the slaves together or the iron collar around their neck, animal-like / beastly,

need to be tamed.Diction* Unhappy Savages, meagre breasts -* He creates a struggling, almost disturbing atmosphere with carefully selected and specified diction such as describing the turned vehicle as the "carcass of a dead animal" and "the deathlike indifference of unhappy savages"* "they were criminals, and the outraged law, like the bursting shells, had come to them, an insoluble mystery from the sea" - loud aggressive tone is radiated through the diction used in the passage once again showing the struggle, foreboding atmosphere that has been created through the use of such abrupt diction* "All their meagre breasts panted together, violently dilated nostrils quivered" - helplessness, struggling, weak, the diction used shows the weakness of chaos in comparison with the strong, war-like authorized mean of order and civilityConclusion:* Conrad radiates a struggling, intense, atmosphere with carefully specified selective diction, descriptive imagery and symbolism which engages the readers in the actual course of events taking place in the novel thereby evoking both and objective and subjective (from the chaos and order perspectives) response from the reader.