The human mind is like a building. It has a base, outer and inner support systems, and screws and nails to hold it together. When any of these crucial pieces disappear, the entire building crumbles. For mankind, these critical pieces are social constructs within civilization, the bolts which hold together our minds and our humanity. In Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, as characters venture deeper into the congo, they are forced into their primital states due to the lack of civilization and morals. A person’s sanity is dependent on its surroundings. Conrad argues the necessity of social constructs, because without them, mankind’s moral function deteriorates causing one to make irrational decisions. When removed from civilization, it is easy
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The natives see Kurtz as a godly figure, and after being treated like one he begins to believe it. He allows greed and corruption to flood his mind. Kurtz is not only mentally plagued, but also physically ill, making it clear how badly the jungle was corrupting him. The jungle enters “into his veins and consume[s] his flesh," dehumanizing him (40). Once the jungle enters the blood and flesh of a human, it has taken over. Proving that the jungle is dehumanizing Kurtz, making him immortal. On Kurtz’s death bed his final words are “The horror, the horror” (59). As he slowly creeps toward death, he realizes that “the powers of darkness have claimed him for their own,” and he too, like many before him, has succumbed to the evilness within himself (41). Conrad, once again leaves us with the ringing message that every human has a heart of darkness, but it is usually drowned by the light of civilization. Society is the foundation upon which our morals are built, and without it, we are no more than …show more content…
However, Marlow proves different than the average man, because he is not as easily “corrupted [by the] jungle of wild men” (4). Unlike Fresleven and Kurtz, Marlow stays true to his civilized self and ultimately survives because of it. Marlow, Kurtz, and Fresleven are all put in identical situations, but only Marlow avoids such a destructive path, because he holds onto his morals, rather than abandoning them the first chance he gets. Marlow even arrives back home after his trip without letting anger, greed, or lust get in the way. He “remain[s] civilized” throughout a completely uncivilized journey (4). He is the perfect example of how our social constraints provide a buffer between the evil that lies within us. Everyone has the ability to do horrible deeds, but it 's ultimately our morals that keep us from doing them. Conrad teaches us the importance of self control, and how without it we simply retire back to our primitive states. It has taken humans centuries to evolve so far, but Conrad reminds us how quickly we can retreat back when isolated from our accustomed environment. Through each nut and bolt, our minds become stronger. We are constantly tested with situations that allow us to crack under the pressure or remain true to ourselves. Throughout Heart of Darkness, Conrad teaches us the importance civilization and how without it, our morals are completely thrown out the window. We may have
The natives see Kurtz as a godly figure, and after being treated like one he begins to believe it. He allows greed and corruption to flood his mind. Kurtz is not only mentally plagued, but also physically ill, making it clear how badly the jungle was corrupting him. The jungle enters “into his veins and consume[s] his flesh," dehumanizing him (40). Once the jungle enters the blood and flesh of a human, it has taken over. Proving that the jungle is dehumanizing Kurtz, making him immortal. On Kurtz’s death bed his final words are “The horror, the horror” (59). As he slowly creeps toward death, he realizes that “the powers of darkness have claimed him for their own,” and he too, like many before him, has succumbed to the evilness within himself (41). Conrad, once again leaves us with the ringing message that every human has a heart of darkness, but it is usually drowned by the light of civilization. Society is the foundation upon which our morals are built, and without it, we are no more than …show more content…
However, Marlow proves different than the average man, because he is not as easily “corrupted [by the] jungle of wild men” (4). Unlike Fresleven and Kurtz, Marlow stays true to his civilized self and ultimately survives because of it. Marlow, Kurtz, and Fresleven are all put in identical situations, but only Marlow avoids such a destructive path, because he holds onto his morals, rather than abandoning them the first chance he gets. Marlow even arrives back home after his trip without letting anger, greed, or lust get in the way. He “remain[s] civilized” throughout a completely uncivilized journey (4). He is the perfect example of how our social constraints provide a buffer between the evil that lies within us. Everyone has the ability to do horrible deeds, but it 's ultimately our morals that keep us from doing them. Conrad teaches us the importance of self control, and how without it we simply retire back to our primitive states. It has taken humans centuries to evolve so far, but Conrad reminds us how quickly we can retreat back when isolated from our accustomed environment. Through each nut and bolt, our minds become stronger. We are constantly tested with situations that allow us to crack under the pressure or remain true to ourselves. Throughout Heart of Darkness, Conrad teaches us the importance civilization and how without it, our morals are completely thrown out the window. We may have