Charles Marlow

that “the belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness.” Heart of Darkness is a clear representation of those words. Conrad’s novel follows the character Charlie Marlow on his journey into the depths of the Congo. Marlow receives a job working as a steamboat skipper transporting ivory for the Company. The Company is a Belgian business involved in trade in Africa. He witnesses the horrors of the imperialistic rule and ruthless actions…

Darkness” convey the experience of traveling up the Congo River. Specifically, the atmosphere and effects of the Congo are detailed through Conrad’s use of diction and imagery. Conrad’s diction emphasizes the complexity of the Congo’s atmosphere. As Marlow travels up the “silent” river he notes that the air is “heavy” and “sluggish.” The diction conveys a still atmosphere, emphasizing the idea that the Congo is stuck in (a primitive) time. Consequently, it feels as though time in the Congo…

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is a multi-layered novel. It describes the journey of the protagonist Marlow into Africa while parallel talking about his transformational journey as well. The novel at the same time is a critic as well as a commentary on imperialism, disillusionment, power and greed. It is through the various characters and their actions that he notices in Africa that Marlow transforms from an idealistic young man to someone who not only is disillusioned with his previously…

of Darkness, the physical journey, as well as the figurative journey, plays a central role in the novella. Marlow, the protagonist, leaves his home in Europe and begins a journey into the center of Africa. He learns of a man named Kurtz, who is the chief of the Inner Station, and travels on his steamer upriver to Kurtz’s trading post. On his journey through the ivory trading stations, Marlow finds himself traveling deeper into the heart of Africa. Marlow’s physical journey into the Congo is a…

The complex novel, Heart of Darkness, is mainly a tale of Marlow's journey to the Congo. In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad's writing is very contemplative with detail. In the Heart of Darkness, Conrad had a background with his seafaring years where Conrad was a marine merchant. Once he rose in rank and began his voyages around the world, he sailed to India, Singapore, Australia, and Africa which gave him experiences that he would later interpret in his fiction. Joseph Conrad writing style…

The Named and the Nameless In Joseph Conrad’s novel The Heart of Darkness Marlow, a new explorer for The Company, finds himself traveling into the heart of Africa and the darkness within it. During his journey he encounters many different people, but only he and the mysterious Mr Krutz, the manger of the central station in the heart of it all, are ever named. Every other character is named based on their title or who they appear to be. Overall in The Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad defines…

degenerated into a greedy colonialist from the hero who spread the Western civilization in Africa, Marlow finds the violence of colonialists and the darkness in that mystery and sacred land. The background…

In the novel The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, the author establishes a parallel between Marlow 's commitment to his journey to find the infamous Kurtz and the journey to the heart of imperialism. Marlow 's journey has begun aboard “The Nellie” when his idea of imperialism is one of efficiency. As Marlow journeys down the Congo in search of the notorious Kurtz, he is astonished of the inhumane practices and the falsities that the idea of imperialism entails. Conrad shows that the idea of…

The "Heart of Darkness" focuses on a critique of colonialism in Africa shown through the eyes and the storytelling of a colonist himself. Throughout the use of this narration by the main character Marlow, a story develops that combines the events of his trip to the Congo along with a deep inner thinking of right and wrong in the world. Imagery and symbolism function as the main ideas that push the understanding of "Heart of Darkness" and Conrad's overall theme throughout the story that man is…

There are a various ways to consider the meaning of the title (Heart of Darkness) on its own or as it relates to the story. The title implies that Africa is the Heart of Darkness, where white people (Marlow and Kurtz) go there to save Africans. Black natives are depicted living in darkness, needing to be brought into the light of civilization and white people seemingly have this enlightening knowledge. In the time of colonialism, Africa was frequently referred to as the "Dark Continent.” The…