How Does Heart Of Darkness Grotesque Effect

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad details the horrific and gruesome effects of colonialism in Africa. As an employee for a Belgian ivory trading company, Charlie Marlow experiences these grisly conditions of the Congo; they help to create the dark atmosphere of the novella. The story achieves this effect in part by its use of grotesque imagery throughout the story, which is aided by the first person point of view of Marlow’s story. This horrid imagery aids in creating the inescapable atmosphere of the work. Another method by which Heart of Darkness creates its bleak effect is its motif of darkness. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad creates a dark and inescapable effect through its use of horrific imagery and its motif of darkness. The story’s imagery adds to the overall dark effect of the novella by presenting a grotesque setting. The fact that Marlow …show more content…
It is exemplified by Marlow’s description of nearly every place he visits as gloomy; an example of his description is when he calls England “one of the dark places of the earth” (1.5). This motif assists in creating its inescapable effect by shrouding almost every aspect of of the story with a shadow of darkness, with creates the work’s somber atmosphere. Darkness is a crucial motif throughout Heart of Darkness, and, along with its gruesome imagery, creates the work’s dark and inescapable effect. Heart of Darkness primarily uses imagery and the motif of darkness to create its bleak effect. The work’s grotesque imagery exemplifies the horrendous conditions of Africa in the late nineteenth century, adding to the dark atmosphere of the story. The motif of darkness contributes to the effect of the novella by representing the setting in a dismal and gloomy manner. Heart of Darkness creates a dark and inescapable effect through its use of imagery and the motif of