Heart Of Darkness Literary Criticism

Great Essays
Heart of Darkness written by Joseph Conrad is a fantastic novella and the author’s famous work. Primarily, it has gained its popularity due to the unique and interesting plot, which entices the readers. Specifically, the main story of the book revolves around the voyage down the Congo River and describes the peculiar adventures and events that happened with the captain of the ship and his brigade during their trip. In addition, besides the thrilling plot, the composition is known for the unusual depiction of the main characters. The author managed to endow his heroes with the complex features, which seem to be very realistic for the readers. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine one of the book’s main characters Charlie Marlow …show more content…
Specifically, considering the fact, that Conrad was also a sailor, it is possible to presume that this novella contains some patterns of autobiography. Apparently, the author sought to endue his characters with the features that were intrinsic to him. However, despite this, the famous novelist created diverse dramatis personae, which seem to be opposite. In addition, the author provided the audience with enough information according to which it is possible to construct a detailed description of Marlow’s character.
Charlie Marlow is a thirty-two years old sailor, who eagerly want to achieve the desirable and find the man named Kurtz. Nevertheless, concerning the physical description of the hero, the book does not contain many facts about it. Thus, the author solely characterizes Marlow, as a person “with sunken cheeks, a yellow complexion, a straight back, an ascetic aspect, and, with his arms dropped, the palms of hands outwards, he resembled an idol” (Сonrad, 2008 p. 3). Hence, it is possible to assume that Mr. Marlow is a handsome and charming man, who does not have much likeness with a common image of a
…show more content…
According to the book, he often lies to people either to reassure them or to justify personal needs. Nevertheless, this man, himself, hardly can accept when someone deceives. In the story, he states, “I hate, detest, and can’t bear a lie” (Conrad, 2008 p. 42). Therefore, Charlie Marlow is, indeed, a peculiar character. At the beginning, he makes an impression of a positive hero, and an ideal person, but gradually, his dark side appears and it is possible to notice that he is imperfect with his flaws and sins.
Charlie Marlow is an adventurer, who constantly travels around the world in order to get new impressions and learn new information. Unfortunately, his journey to Africa was dark and traumatic. Observing the situation there and the position of the people in the colonial country, Marlow became very impressed. In addition, during his journey, he often had to witness the violent behavior of Europeans towards the natives. Consequently, this experience had a huge influence on Marlow and made him reconsider his opinions about life and human’s

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Both men 's characters were transformed on their journey in the Congo. Marlow is a tough, honest, fiercely independent man. Yet he also seems weary at times and cynical. He initially sees the natives as being exploited by the white men as he takes on the assignment of finding Kurtz. He is horrified by their treatment.…

    • 1017 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Marlow is shown the true side to European powers in Africa, and he becomes aware of the vicious things they will do in order to control the ivory. Marlow changes his morals after seeing firsthand the notorious…

    • 504 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    He did me the honour to take me under the arm and lead me aside. ‘He [Kurtz] is very low, very low,’ he said,” (142). Over time, Marlow begins to see that it is the Company who is mad, not Kurtz as he had first assumed: “It seemed to me I [Marlow] had never breathed an atmosphere so vile, and I turned mentally to Kurtz for relief--positively for relief.…

    • 422 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Marlow’s response to this information is not to retreat from his expedition but instead to go see his dear aunt and to say goodbye. Marlow is facing the fact that he may meet his end on this journey and still decides to go, to risk his life for the end result of fining ivory and Kurtz. After Marlow’s aunt gets him a job on the steamboat as the captain, Marlow learns of the previous captain’s fate; Fresleven was a man with the most innocent intentions was changed by the darkness and ended up being killed over hens and a few dollars. Marlow is still willing to go on his journey, to take a dead obsessed man’s job, to risk his life, his sanity all for his anticipated…

    • 751 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As Marlow gets into more of the job in Congo River during the England Imperialist he saw things he has not seen before for example,the torture black men almost dying in diseases, trading young healthy black men to other places, and seeing the black men be treated in a cruel way. It made him have so many questions about the environment and the person he has…

    • 747 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Egocentrism, the Source of Darkness Rooting their argument in Sir John Dalberg-Acton’s assertion “absolute power corrupts absolutely,” many critics assume that Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness is a natural display of the corruption of power: Europeans, with their excessive power over African natives, will inevitably become corrupt and suffer. However, interpretations such as the aforementioned one are largely naive. First, power is not a chant that causes corruption magically and spontaneously. Second, Joseph Conrad, a meticulous author, would not waste his carefully crafted signals, such as a limited number of named characters, for reasons as trivial as aforementioned. In fact, the consideration of Conrad as a meticulous author and his hints…

    • 991 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This persona for the reader, and Marlow, is tarnished by the obvious craving for wealth and power. It is emphasised by Kurtz’s claiming that everything is his. He says “‘…my Intended, my ivory, my station, my river…’” (89). His words reflect upon how he views himself, “god-like”. He is tainted by greed, enough to consider himself better than anyone else which is accentuated by the…

    • 344 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Marlow further personifies the wilderness again when he describes the African man who returns to the wilderness’ bosom (Conrad 125). The word choice of “bosom” further instills that the wilderness around them is female and very much alive. It leads one to believe that the native Africans are a part of this wilderness as well since the wilderness accepts him back in. Furthermore, the general manager’s uncle makes a point of saying that “the climate may do away with this difficulty for you” meaning that the wilderness will kill Kurtz before he becomes an issue for the manager (Conrad 134).…

    • 1425 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Through Marlow 's journey into the shadows or evil of the Congo, Conrad 's use of light and dark imagery tells us what kind of a man Marlow is. The African people, the natives are the ones whom live in the Congo where the darkness is waiting to trick its next victim. Marlow being the light never sees the Africans as actual people and just those whom he met through his journeys. Marlow is a man of travel, he seeks out explorations and has seen through the dark places and seems to have his own knowledge within himself on the darkness. When Marlow returns to England, Kurt’s presence seems to haunt him.…

    • 1129 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    At the beginning, Marlow lives in a moderately civilized world where “A narrow and deserted street in deep shadow, high houses, innumerable windows with venetian blinds, a dead silence, grass sprouting right and left, immense double doors standing ponderously ajar”(Conrad 7). Marlow…

    • 2457 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    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…

    • 1375 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The essay looks at Conrad’s negative portrayal of the local African population in Central Africa, examining the narrative purpose served by this type of representation and how Conrad sets up Africa and its people as an anti-pole to Europe and ‘civilization’. In order to do that, the local African is constantly dehumanized, deprived of his own language and forms of expression. One of the main focuses of Conrad’s work is to portray the European's mental disintegration against the background of the wilderness in the African continent. Heart of Darkness contrasts the colonial world of the European, with that of the indigenous African peoples. Conrad uses a frame narrative charting the story of how Charles Marlow made his long and excruciating…

    • 1122 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Kurtz is an obvious example of the corruption brought on by the ivory trade, but Marlow too, is corrupted and shown to be changed by the environment in which he was placed. At the beginning, Marlow seems almost innocent and unprepared for the journey ahead, and at the end he lies to a woman who loved Kurtz. Would he have told her the truth if he remained unchanged, or was it the corruption that took place in him that made him lie? Here is an example of him beginning to change, “He was there below me, and, upon my word, to look at him was as edifying as seeing a dog in a parody of breeches and a feather hat walking on his hind legs” (Conrad, 1990, pg. 33). In this passage, Marlow begins to show he is following in the footsteps of Kurtz and his old self is slipping away.…

    • 1165 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Finally, as the story progresses Marlow finds telling lies to be easier. Exploring the similarities and differences of the main characters, Marlow and Kurtz, are important for understanding how one character becomes lost in the “heart” of darkness and the other character is able to resists it. The expedition into the jungle would have…

    • 1268 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The narrator is a British nationalist, and is very trusty and proud. However, after Marlow tells his story, the narrator finds he isn't very proud of his country. Conrad chose to have the story told through the narrator to give a message about mankind through Marlow; we need to protect ourselves from giving into id, and to protect ourselves from those who have already…

    • 1264 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays