In the pursuit of self-enlightenment, one may discover insightful answers to life, although others may lose themselves entirely. In the depths of the Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, it appears much easier to be lost rather than found. Heart of Darkness follows Marlow, a wondering seaman who embarks on a journey to Africa under a fake identity which he established through his politically connected Aunt. Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness may be interpreted in various ways, as it tells many different stories which relate to stories of its time, and also stories that still appear to resonate at the present time. On one level, Heart of Darkness may be perceived as Marlow’s journey to hell and back, in search of a holy (or unholy) grail, or as a dark quest into an antagonistic land filled with hazardous mysteries and forbidden knowledge. For Marlow, this created unwelcome and soul-threatening insights into human nature. On another level, Heart of Darkness may be interpreted as a critique of Western colonialism and an alarmingly accurate depiction of its evils. Marlow’s journey into Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness appeared to be in search of self-enlightenment. This will further be discussed with the aid of Nietzche’s theory of culture, along with the lies and evils Marlow unexpectedly encountered.
Marlow, the central character and narrator of the story stumbles into the Belgian Congo wanting to sail his steamboat but discovers much more. He possesses a strong sense of the past and has a good work ethic; as stated by Marlow in The Heart of Darkness, “working hard is a means of achieving sanity” (Conrad 2007). Marlow comes from an upper middle class European background, therefore his world view is that of a typical European. Nevertheless, he is projected as a versatile individual who does not belong to a particular class, and is therefore able to relate to different types of individuals much more effortlessly as opposed to his peers. Marlow’s work as a seaman allows him to retain a hold on the positive aspects of life due to the reality that work remains his only constant (Conrad 2007). This is apparent in the first chapter, when Marlow’s shipmate is fatally hit with an arrow and Marlow returns to work almost immediately. Therefore, it is evident that Marlow sees work as a means to escape the commotion in his own mind, as well as the hidden truths of the Congo which gradually become apparent. Marlow’s strong belief in hard work shows the same integrity in the work he undertakes to protect Kurtz’s reputation.
Kurtz signifies an ambitious man who is depicted as a hero to all, but Marlow’s sense of sarcasm causes him to decide for himself. Kurtz’s heroic depiction is illustrated on page 49, where Marlow states “all of Europe contributed to the making of Kurtz, and by and by I learned that most appropriately the International Society for the Suppression of Savage Customs had entrusted him with the making of a report for its future guidance" (Conrad, p.49). As the story commences, it is evident to the reader that Marlow has always wanted to travel to Africa, but during his travels, Marlow soon realizes that he is mainly searching for the “voice” of Kurtz, rather than the physical figure of the man (Conrad 2010). Kurtz is filled with greed, and his voracious hunger for ivory causes him to acquire enemies among the native Africans (who are often referred to as “savages”), and he is described by Marlow in relation to the material he was on the hunt for: his head “was like a ball – an ivory ball” (Conrad, p. 29), and in his final moments, he carried an “expression of sombre pride” on his “ivory face” (Conrad, p. 42). As Marlow continues his journey into the Belgian Congo, he is bombarded with confronting facts and learns disturbing truths about Kurtz and the treatment of the Negroes. This is evident when Marlow hears that Kurtz has the heads of the “savages” on a stick, without the expression of remorse.
107376 Mrs. Ingersoll English 12 AP 1 May 2013 Option Three The physical journey Joseph Conrad takes the reader in the Heart of Darkness contributes to the plot, but also parallels to a journey through Man’s inner self. The points in the physical journey in which Conrad uses to emphasize the plot are the small sailing craft, the steamboat, and the jungle. Conrad begins the journey with the narrator describing the setting of a small sailing craft. This point in the journey foreshadows…
Guilt, disappointment and the fear behind Kurtz’s death Jordan Davis Mr. Allin ENG 4U March 3rd, 2012 Verbal statements may have multiple interpretations depending on one's perspective. In the novel, Heart of Darkness, Conrad makes the reader use his/her own knowledge to generate themes and emotions. Consistently, the theme of the horrific reality is mentioned throughout the novel. Joseph’s character, Kurtz, cries out, “The horror! The horror” (Conrad 86) during his last moments; however…
Heart of Darkness-ISP By: Robert Pittelli You can argue that nearly everyone on this planet has at least one desire within that is so dark and evil that they would do anything to achieve that goal. However, most individuals are capable of controlling and taming their greedy desires for personal gain such as wealth, power, and fame, to the point where they are concealed, leaving their sanity untouched by the extreme darkness of their sinful wishes. Joseph Conrad’s novel, Heart of Darkness, provides…
Savannah Hurley Mrs. Wright World Literature 9 May 2014 Soul of Darkness Some of the traits of well-adjusted humans are that they empathize and identify with people around them. At the point when people lose this ability, they start to lessen their relations to humanity and increase their degree of savagery. In Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Conrad demonstrates that humans enclose some form of bitterness within his or her heart. This bitterness becomes evident when people strip themselves of…
“Heart of Darkness” written by Joseph Conrad is a tale of a man named Marlow who ventures into Africa. Having always had a yearning to explore this dark country, he takes us on his journey along the Congo River and through the trials and tribulations of imperialism in the late 19th century. Not only does Marlow get an insight to his own self but he learns how imperialism affects other people as well. From the beginning the work Darkness doesn’t just appear in the title but also in much of Marlow’s…
The Visions of Light Vs Darkness When Joseph Conrad composed Heart of Darkness he created a literary masterpiece which embodied the essence of light contrasting with darkness. Throughout the novel Conrad constantly utilizes the images of light and dark and uses them to mold a vision, which the reader is then able to use to decipher the literal and metaphorical meanings of the novel. As Conrad said, " my task which I am trying to achieve is, by the power of the written word to make you hear, to…
The Heart of Darkness In the Heart of Darkness I got lost, and no not in the reading. I got lost in general until I really started to read between the lines. The theme of this is story was one of the main things that didn’t make any sense to me until I got to the end and realized that it is a twisted mess of madness that comes from the imperialism in the story. This story is also made up of symbolism which is shown when the author writes about the rivers, frogs, and the woman. To me Joseph Conrad…
desire to move up the corporate ladder so that we too can intimidate someone with power one day. In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Kurtz had a power over the jungle and its people that was inexplicable. Kurtz is one of many men sent into the jungle to rid the land and its people of its natural resources. Many men have journeyed into the jungle also refereed as the heart of darkness never to return. Kurtz goes into the jungle and becomes obsessed with the people and the land. Though Kurtz has…
Women in The Heart of Darkness To write a book when one has only learned english at the age of twenty is difficult for many to do; however, author Joseph Conrad contradicted this idea by writing a timeless, thought provoking piece of literature. Using his experience as a sailor during the time of imperialism, Conrad wrote a novel that goes beyond a normal adventure story. It became a novel that countless critics debated over on subjects such as women and the misogynistic culture that Conrad portrayed…
Who Had the Heart of Darkness? Thousands of scholars all throughout the twentieth century have weighed in on Joseph Conrad's infamous 1902 publication, Heart of Darkness. Confronting the devastating effects of the colonization of Africa, Conrad's novel takes it's European narrator, Marlow, through unspeakable darkness as the African jungles come alive and the colonization of the Continent's states unfolds. It's needless to say that Conrad's work remains legendary, but a great deal of its legend…