Title: Heart of Darkness

Genre: psychological drama

Author: Joseph Conrad
Period/ School: early modernist
Publication Date: 1902

The Author and His Times: Conrad himself made a voyage down the Congo river, which was
probably the basis for many of the experiences that he describes. He also lived during a time
when Europe, and Britain especially, was at the height of its imperial dominance, so international
trade was very important. Race relations at this time were tense. White imperialists believed that
it was their moral duty to help enlighten and civilize the African peoples, and some of the residue
of these philosophies creeps into Conrad’s writing. Many events described in Heart of Darkness
are of an autobiographical nature.

Form, Structure, Plot: Frame narrative, story within a story. There are numerous breaks in
Marlow’s narrative to reconnect the reader with the concrete world. The plot of Marlow’s story
is fairly simple and moves slowly, but is very detailed. Da capo ending. The part of the story that
Marlow narrates takes place over 8 months – one year, and the ends of the story take place
several years later.

Point of View: perspective changes often. The story is technically being told by an unnamed
first-person narrator, but the bulk of the novel is related by Marlow, who occasionally speaks in
second person, but for the most part uses first person as well. This narration style makes the
reader feel slightly removed from the action that Marlow describes, and allows Conrad to show
how Marlow’s revelations are received by people from the outside world who did not directly
experience them. This highlights the themes of alienation, emotional negligence, and inability to
understand the thoughts and actions of others that are prevalent throughout the novel. Marlow’s
narration may be unreliable because 1) he is relating events that happened to him a long time ago
and that he doesn’t even fully understand and 2) he has strong opinions about his experiences
and is probably biased in his recounting of them. An interesting aspect of the perspective from
which Marlow’s story is told is that, since he has lived through the entire story already, he faces
free associations between events that did not necessarily take place in chronological order, and
can with certainty predict the events of the “future.” This plays with the readers concrete
conception of time, and gives Marlow an omniscient quality.

Characters: Marlow is the main character, and the other figures—besides Kurtz—often seem like
accessories to his journey. There is no clear antagonist, expect for the forces of Africa, which are
often personified. Marlow never seems particularly interested in the people around him, and
sometimes regards them with disdain and sarcasm. Hence, the secondary characters don’t seem
completely human and aren’t very well-developed. Even Marlow, while he does develop, always
seem kind of sketchily assembled. The only thing we know about most characters is what
Marlow tells us about them, since we see most of the novel through his perspective. While we do
learn about characters by observing their actions and what they say about each other, even these
are viewed through Marlow’s perspective, and thus he is continually manipulating the perception
of the reader.
Marlow: at the beginning of the novel, he is probably in his mid-late 30s, for the bulk of the
novel he is probably in his early-mid 20s. Adventurous, curious, determined, practical, admires
things that have a concrete purpose, individualism, and people who self-actualize. He feels
disdain for the things that the doesn’t like, such as mindlessness and things that have no concrete
meaning or benefit. He is in conflict because he admires the grander and glory of the past and of
adventure, but he finds little evidence of those ideals in the modern world. He is not very
emotional and seems to be bothered by things only on a very cerebral level. He is level-headed
and efficient, but not spiritually or deeply emotionally impressed by authority. He is an
independent spirit, and respects people who embody those same ideals, but is guarded in his
personal relations. He respects Kurtz, but does not respect the people who thoughtlessly worship
him. He is caught between not being an incredibly emotional himself and being shocked at the
atrocious crimes against human decency that he sees committed in the Congo—it leaves him
unsure of how to conduct himself, so he resorts to thinking about very easily to quantify things,
like rivets.
“‘Now when I was a little chap I had a passion for maps. I would look for hours at South America, or
Africa, or Australia, and lose myself in all the glories of exploration. At that time there were many blank
spaces on the earth and when I saw one that looked particularly inviting on a map (but they all look that)
I would put my finger on it and say: when I grow up I will go there. The North Pole was one of these
places I remember. Well, I haven’t been there and I shall not try now. The glamour’s off.’”
This quote sets the reader up for the mental and emotional transformation that Marlow will
undergo as he penetrates deeper into Africa. As a youth he is idealistic, adventurous, and has
many exalted notions. These traits do not completely abandon him, but they mutate and find
strange ways of expressing themselves on his journey. Upon his arrival, Marlow’s naïve visions
are scared away by the horrors that he witnesses. They search out an alternative idol in Kurtz, but
Marlow finds that he is not an adequate substitute for the fantasies of his youth, because nothing
could be. In the course of his journey, Marlow discovers that there are no real heroes, and no real
heroic images.
Kurtz: mid to late 40s, powerful, cruel, independent, enigmatic, captivating. Kurtz represents a
more extreme version of what Marlow might become under more extreme circumstances, a free-
spirited natural leader with an eye for efficiency that sees little in people beyond their physical
presence. Marlow is both intrigued and disgusted by this, which seems to be his response to most
things. Kurtz fills the power vacuum that was created by the destruction of traditional African
societies, and fills it with violence and a cult-like worship for those who seem to provide safety
and stability. He is the personification of the purest form of evil imported from Europe, and also
it’s most glorious power. Kurtz is Marlow’s dream turned bitter. His most important feature is
his voice.
“‘Kurtz discoursed. A voice! A voice! It rang deep to the very last. It survived his strength to hide in the
magnificent folds of the eloquence the barren darkness of his heart. Oh, he struggled, he struggled. The
wastes of his weary brain were haunted by shadowy images now—images of wealth and fame revolving
obsequiously around his unextinguishable gift of noble and lofty expression. My Intended, my station, my
career, my ideas—these were the subjects of his occasional utterances of elevated sentiments. The shade
of the original Kurtz frequented the beside of the hollow sham whose fate it was to be buried presently in
the mould of primeval earth. But both his 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.’”
This quote possibly reveals more about Marlow than it does about Kurtz, but it is the most vivid
description of Kurtz’s internal world. He is a contradiction—the essence of European
imperialism at its most refined and most brutal. He is a bearer of light who serves the darkness,
the embodiment of a savage civilization. Love and money are of equal rank, and viewed in much
the same terms. He is arrogant, greedy, and represents the lie that Marlow used to believe before
his journey began. He is a decaying person, with little more than his voice still strong—he is
literary rotting from the inside out. However, he doesn’t have a sickness, he is the sickness.
Intended: young, naïve, gracious, delicate. She provides a stark contrast to the wild world of
Africa. She represents all the self-centered oblivion and naiveté of European civilization. She is
what Marlow was before he went on his journey, and he cannot shatter the beauty of the world
for her the way it was shattered for him.
“‘She had a mature capacity for fidelity, for belief, for suffering. The room seemed to have grown darker
as if all the sad light of the cloudy evening had taken refuge on her forehead. This fair hair, this pale
visage, this pure brow, seemed surrounded by an ashy halo from which the dark eyes looked out at me.
Their glance was guileless, profound, confident, and trustful.’”
We can see from this quote that while the Intended has a much greater emotional capacity than
either Marlow or Kurtz, she is significantly more ignorant. She is shrouded in darkness, but not
the same kind of darkness that engulfs Africa; she lives in an artificial darkness that is created
intentionally to keep people ignorant and innocent. She is weak, too weak for her own emotions.

Setting: Africa, the Congo River. Africa attracts Marlow because it represents uncertainty and
adventure; he believes that is a setting for the expansion of human potential. However, he
discovers that Africa has a life and spirit of its own, it is wild, unforgiving, and aggressive
towards invaders. The darkness and cruelty of its nature mirror the darkness inherent in those
who attempt to conquer it. Technology and typical European imperial efforts feel weak and
ineffectual there. The further Marlow ventures up the river, the darker his thoughts become, and
in that way he has a symbiotic relationship with nature. People are very strongly connected to
their native lands; when taken out of their natural environments they become weak and crumble
physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Diction: the diction of this novel is in general very elusive and often dreamy and vague. This is
because much of the story is related through Marlow’s memory, which is an imperfect
recollection at best. He doesn’t speak particularly formally, but tells his story with elegance.
There are many contrasts between light and dark. The word “savage” has a very different
meaning at the end of the novel than it does at the beginning.
“‘I was thinking of very old times, when the Romans first came here, nineteen hundred years ago—the
other day…Light came out of this river since—you say Knights? Yes, but it is like a running blaze on a
plain, like a flash of lightning in the clouds. We live in the flicker—may it last as long as the old earth
keeps rolling! But darkness was here yesterday.’”
This quote establishes the contrast between light and darkness, and it is interesting to note that
the sources of light that Marlow lists are all very primeval, violent, and emotive. We can also see
Marlow’s rather abstract conception of time, which is likely a result of his enlightenment. He
also hints at the idea that Europe is also a creator of darkness, and most people are so swamped
by the shadows that their world creates that they never grasp more than a few flickers of sunlight.
“‘Going up that river was like traveling back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation
rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings. An empty stream, a great silence, an impenetrable forest.
The air was warm, thick, heavy, sluggish. There was no joy in the brilliance of the sunshine. The long
stretches of waterway ran on, deserted, into the gloom of the overshadowed distances.’”
As Marlow ventures up the Congo River, he returns to a wilder, more primitive state of being,
one in which even the sunshine seems ominous and unpleasant. All of nature seems violent, and
plants take on the brutal qualities traditionally reserved for people. Even the air seems to be
trying to weaken Marlow, and the threat of danger looms everywhere.
“‘I came upon him and if he had not heard me coming, I would have fallen over him too, but he got up in
time. He rose, unsteady, long, pale, indistinct like a vapour exhaled by the earth, and swayed slightly,
misty and silent before me while at my back the fires loomed between the trees, and the murmur of many
voices issued from the forest.’”
This quote illustrates Kurtz’s physical weakness. In his scene he appears more spectral than
human, which must be difficult for someone who seems to lack a soul. He is waste, flimsy, and
ill-equipped to handle the world that has now turned against him. This scene has a very ghastly
and ominous tone, making it seem like Marlow and Kurtz have entered a new plain of existence,
or descended into hell entirely, making them impervious to normal human intervention.

Syntax: syntax, like diction, is often ambiguous. One gets the impression that Marlow is not
relating words exactly as he heard them, but what he has chosen to remember. Words and
phrases often feel removed from a direct reading experience because the reader is seeing them
through Marlow’s own perspective, which is impossible for anyone but him to fully understand.
“‘At this moment I heard Kurtz’s deep voice behind the curtain. “Save me—save the ivory, you mean.
Don’t tell me! Save me! Why, I’ve had to save you. You are interrupting my plans now. Sick. Sick. Not as
sick as you would like to believe. Never mind. I’ll carry my ideas out yet—I will return. I’ll show you
what can be done. You with your little peddling notions—you are interfering with me. I will return.
I…”’”
The most interesting thing about the structure of this passage is that it is never specified who
Kurtz is speaking to, meaning he could be speaking to anyone from himself, to Marlow, to
anyone else on the boat or anyone else alive. His fragmented sentences indicate a crumbling
mental state, and the childlike demeanor that he is regressing to. All his words turn back to
himself, reflecting his self-centered conception of the universe. He also equates the value of his
life to that of ivory, revealing his materialistic understanding of life and value.

Concrete Detail/ Imagery: there is a repeated image of the grass crawling up through skeletons,
showing how the wild nature of Africa is much stronger than the ineffectual tools and weapons
of white imperialism. There is also the image of the snake, embodied by the Congo river, that
entrances Marlow down the path into the heart of darkness. There are also many references to
holes, hollowness, or emptiness, referring to the spiritual and emotional void that exists where
one’s “heart” should be. There is a continual opposition between European technology, which
struggles to establish itself and is often falling apart, and the more untamed and powerful forces
of Africa. There are also many images pertaining to a beating heart, usually created by the
beating of drums. Africa is often described using hellish imagery. Africa itself often seems like a
Garden of Eden, or beginning of life itself. Shoes are also a recurring image, showing how hard
it can be to understand someone else’s perspective on life. Conrad makes heavy use of contrast
between light and dark forces.

Symbolism: the sea represents loneliness and isolation. Rivets represent Marlow’s attempt to
retain order in his life and cling onto something concrete and logical amid the chaos and
uncertainty of Africa. Weapons are a recurring representation of the European’s attempts to
assign order to a world over which they have no real control. Boats represent mobility, and the
certain degree of autonomy that comes with being able to choose one’s own path in life. The
image of the river mirrors that of the snake—which represents temptation and the loss of
innocence through education about the evils of the outside world.

Figurative Language: the various natural forces of Africa are often personified and imbued with
a kind of mystical and ominous energy. There is a lot of repetition. Technology especially is
anthropomorphized.

Ironic Devices: Marlow’s expectations are contradicted upon his arrival in Africa. He comes
expecting grand and exciting adventure—and what he discovers is only grand in the horror that it
instills in him. There is also a contradiction between the rumor and reality of Kurtz. He is made
to sound as powerful, altruistic, and grand as Marlow’s naïve ideals, but in reality he is weak,
struggling, and flimsy. European weapons also prove significantly less effective than simple,
innocent devices, like the whistle on the steamer.

Tone: ominous, melancholy, opaque. Marlow often phrases things in an abstract manner, making
the reader feel removed from the main action of the story and giving his narration a dream-like
and mystical quality. Marlow often seems removed from the feelings of other people, and
describes them with a hint of irony.
Theme: the main point of this novel is to give the reader an opportunity to peer into the darkest
corners of the globe, and of themselves. Marlow’s physical journey mirrors his internal one, as
he penetrates deeper and deeper into the darkness, expecting grandeur, meaning, or at the very
least something worth working for and believing in. instead, what he uncovers is a gigantic void,
an eternal physical and spiritual emptiness that all the forces of evil in the world have rushed in
to fill. At the center of the man, at the center of the world, there is no purpose, there is no reason,
there is only the darkness of empty space.
Individualism vs. the mentality of the group is an important recurring idea. Both Marlow and
Kurtz are highly individualistic, but Kurtz is further removed from the convention rules of
society than Marlow is, and thus capable of accomplishing greater things and inflicting greater
evil. Marlow respects people with a strong sense of internal motivation and independence, like
Kurtz, and resents those that acquiesce too easily to the beliefs and commands of others. for
Marlow, the only way to exonerate oneself of the actions of the group is to act as an individual,
following an internal moral compass. However, Marlow has more internal limitations than Kurtz,
and understands the importance of not straying too far from the bounds of society. Thus, he is
fascinated by Kurtz, but never would want to be him. He sees in Kurtz the most extreme versions
of both individualism and cult-like devotion taken too far, and the harsh duality affronts him.
Another important concept is that of willful vs. unintended ignorance, and the role that each
plays both in the lives of individuals and the functioning of society. Marlow begins his journey
with youthful innocence that is gradually stripped from him as he ventures deeper up the Congo
River. He begins to look down on those who are still suspended in ignorance, either because they
blindly follow the ideals of Kurtz or because they follow the will of the Company. After his
journey is finished, the question arises of whether he has an obligation to share with his
knowledge with the rest of the world. Ultimately, Marlow seems to come to the conclusion that
becoming enlightened is a personal experience, and not something that he should try to impose
on other people.

Significance of Title: the heart of darkness is the heart of all uncertainty, evil, and cruelty. We
think that this is best embodied by Africa, but it really exists within everyone, and is waiting for
the right environment to be released. The heart of darkness is the truth at the center of
everything.

Memorable Quotes:
“‘I don’t like work—no man does—but I like what is in the work—the chance to find yourself. Your own
reality—for yourself—not for others—what no other man can ever know. They can only see the mere
show, and never can tell what it really means.’”
This quote reflects the importance of individuality and self-actualization, too conceptions that
Marlow highly values. It also relates to the idea of alienation via experience—people can never
understand the life of someone else because they are incapable of living it themselves. This quote
also shows Marlow’s appreciation of concrete, easily-accessible things.
“‘I lived in an infernal mess of rust, filings, nuts, bolts, spanners, hammers, ratchet-drills—things I
abominate because I don’t get on with them.’”
It is interesting to track how Marlow’s relationships with physical things changes throughout the
novel. Marlow likes things that have a clear and concrete purpose, which generally includes
tools. So it seems strange that he would not “get on” with some of the same tools that he seemed
to have such a positive relationship with earlier in the novel. This is likely because his internal
state is too convoluted to make use of them, and when he says that he cannot get on with the
tools he really means that he cannot get on with himself.
“‘The earth for us is a place to live in, where we must put up with sights, with sounds, with smells too, by
Jove!—breathe dead hippo so to speak and not be contaminated. And there, don’t you see, your strength
comes in, the faith in your ability for the digging of unostentatious holes to bury the stuff in—your power
of devotion not to yourself but to an obscure, back-breaking business.’”
This quote reflects Marlow’s practical viewpoint on life. His philosophy seems to be that, even
though there are sources of evil in the world, people must find it within themselves to overcome
and achieve self-actualization. It feels like Marlow is being sarcastic in the examples he gives of
ways to achieve this self-realization.