Darkness Essay

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Heart of Darkness: A Literary Analysis

By Nguyen

Beyond the shield of civilization and into the depths of a primitive, untamed frontier lies the true face of the human soul. It is in the midst of this savagery and unrelenting danger that mankind confronts the brooding nature of his inner self. This, perhaps, is the underlying conclusion that Joseph Conrad attempts to portray in his disturbing novel, Heart of Darkness. His work reaches far past the aesthetic surface and attempts to bring the blinding harshness of reality before the eyes of its readers. The novel is the story of one man's insight into life as he embarks on a voyage to the outskirts of the world. Here, he meets the bitter, yet enlightening forces that eventually shape his outlook on life and his own individuality.

Each of the main characters in The Heart of Darkness plays a significant role in the overall theme of the novel. The central character is a thirty two year old sailor, Charlie Marlow. He is a dynamic character who essentially controls the development of the theme. Through Marlow's experiences and revelations, the author illustrates how forces of light and darkness serve to weave the human soul together; thus, essentially how good and evil are reflected in an individual. Marlow's journey leads him in an urgent search for Kurtz, the one man who can provide him with the truth about himself. Like Marlow, Kurtz came to the Congo in hopes to bring "light" and civilization to a backwards society. He is a highly-educated, refined gentlemen; yet, in the end, the brutal nature of the Congo forces him to resort to the life of a murderer and pilferer. The name Kurtz itself has symbolic meaning. "The physical shortness in Kurtz implies a shortness of character and spirit" (Heart of Darkness: A systematic evaluation). Conrad greatly contrasts between Kurtz's two mistresses. He portrays the black mistress as being fierce and magnificent. "She is an impressive figure and importantly, her human feelings are not denied. She faces the truth of the situation and the pain because she is able to endure it" (Mistress). On the other hand, his white mistress is depicted as being soft-tempered and patient: "an illusion of the European society" (Mistress). These two women serve the purpose of emphasizing the two images of Kurtz: a barbarous and savage man of an uncivilized society vs. a refined gentlemen from civilized Europe. The manager of the ivory company in Africa is essentially the villain of the plot. He is the dark force indirectly responsible for the corruption and decadence in the Congo.

Setting is also relevant to the overall theme of the novel. As the plot opens up, Marlow begins to compare and contrast the Thames River to the Congo. He describes both rivers to be connected like "an interminable waterway" (Conrad 65). Marlow means to say that the two are connected symbolically. Both represent the continual passage for the ivory trade. The ivory is carried out of Africa through the Congo and into Europe through the Thames. The Thames is depicted as being peaceful and tranquil while the Congo is it's antithesis. Both are associated with darkness, however, the Thames has "conquered" it's darkness and now is peaceful. Conrad portrays London to be the "light" of the world and Africa to be "one of the darkest places on the earth" (pg. 67). Europe is highly civilized and refined while Africa is considered to be primitive and untamed. The two societies represent the opposite ends of a spectrum.

One central theme that prevails throughout the novel is mankind's capacity for good and evil. This is illustrated in the evolution of the two central characters, Marlow and Kurtz. Both symbolize the two conditions of human nature. "Kurtz represents what man could become if left to his own intrinsic devices outside protective society. Marlow represents a pure untainted civilized soul who has not been drawn to savagery by a dark, alienated jungle." (Heart of Darkness: A systematic evaluation). When the two come face to face, each man sees a reflection of what he might have become in the other. In Kurtz, Marlow sees the potential for his dark self to emerge if he were to continue to survive in the savage soils of Africa. In Marlow, Kurtz sees himself as he once was: a man of innocence and civilization. Thus, Marlow and Kurtz symbolize both the light and dark forces of a single soul.

The contrast of light and darkness to represent the civilized and the uncivilized is also a dominate theme throughout the novel. At the opening of the novel, Marlow is sitting amongst a serene atmosphere under the "lights" of London. The light image associates London with civilization. However, this illusion is cut short when Marlow states, "And this...

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