Analysis: We Penetrated Deeper And Deeper Into The Heart Of Darkness

“We penetrated deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness” (43). This is one of many passages where Marlow uses darkness to tell his personal story about the journey he took through the Congo. This quote has both a literal and figurative meaning, where the reader must go beyond the text to truly comprehend the message of the author, Joseph Conrad. When reading this passage, it may appear that as Marlow and his crew go deeper into the Congo, the men become savage-like due to all the darkness, or evil, they are surrounded by. Joseph Conrad’s novella, Heart of Darkness, is a story about two men’s realization of their own inner evil. Marlow, an english seaman takes a voyage through the Congo River to meet the infamous Kurtz, a man whose true evil was brought out by the darkness of the Congo. The book uses a frame story technique comparing Europeans to Africans, ultimately proving that all men have evil within them, even the Europeans. Conrad uses darkness in a literal sense to create an evil mood and setting throughout the novella, while …show more content…
Through the use of allusions and symbolism, it is easy to see the message that Conrad is trying to send. With the river being in the shape of a snake to represent Adam and Eve, to the ways characters are portrayed in the story, evil is shown time and time again. By showing the disconnection and the difference of treatment between the Europeans and the Africans, you can detect the evil that lies within many characters of this story. The story of Heart of Darkness is much like many events that have happened in the past and can be related to real world experiences. The message that Conrad is sending is not just true in this fictional story, yet it can be seen in everyday life. Because of this, it is easy to agree with Conrad and his theory that evil lies within all