The River In Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness

The river harbors a symbolic presence in Joseph Conrad 's novella, Heart of Darkness (serial, 1899; book, 1902). In these pages, Conrad observes and deconstructs the darkness of imperialism —long considered the "white man 's burden"— as an extension of his experiences in the Congo Free State (now called the Democratic Republic of Congo), then expansive personal property for Leopold II, King of Belgium (Norton 1890). Not only he denounces the abuses committed against the Africans in the name of imperialist self-interests, the book allows the reader to translate Marlow 's harrowing adventures that will confront the reader to discover their own sense of stoic darkness. As a symbol, the river is caught in the middle, corrupted within the banks …show more content…
While the Thames swerves safely through London 's banks, the Congo hides gross exploitations and infringements. their descriptions enhance the differences between luxury and poverty, engagement and indifference, an exploration of crossing the fine line succumbing into one 's personal "heart of darkness" (Norton 1890). Either way, something interestedly human will be lost, and the river will guide man towards its own self-conscious destruction. The role of the river in Heart of Darkness serves as a literary framing device, an exploration into the imperialist morality, and a geographical division between native Africans and …show more content…
in Miller) The vast reaches of the earth, the true greed of man, and the thirst for adventure, regardless of the consequences,create for conquerors and conquered alike to use the rivers as their special challenge. What Marlow (and to some extent, Conrad) experienced traveling up the snake-like river. Even if we may find no reasons to traverse a jungle and face greed, poverty, hypocrisy, and pillaging, the enticing dream of the river is a fateful reminder of what it means to be human: to confront the "heart of darkness" without succumbing to