Through the Darkness

The Darkness Within Many children are afraid of the dark and what lies in it, so they call out to their fearless parents for protection. Adults are supposed to shed light in the dark, and civilization insists that they suppress the darkness in themselves and their children. However, in Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness one’s beliefs on civilization is questioned and darkness is brought to a new light. Darkness is a prominent symbol throughout the text and it has significant meaning to…

between human and humane? In the story Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, right off the bat the reader is hit with the problem of the “nature of man”, and what it means to be human or humane. To be human means to have a sense of mind, to be living, and be at peace in mind. However, to be humane means to be gentle compassionate, caring, and have sympathy. It is often pondered that to be human means to be humane, however as Marlow learned on his travels through the dark jungle of the Congo, one…

“Darkness” is a word of multiple meanings, from being a complete blackness to representing terror and the unknown. On the other hand, “heart” is seen as the center, love, or life of things. In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness the combination of the two words reveals the significance of the title to the world about the true naiveté and ignorance of human beings, the easiness of manipulation of the mind, particularly women, and reminds us that each act toward civilization is an act in barbarism…

animal, he is inclined to be much more cruel than any other living thing. Humans have a moral guideline to live by, but throughout many generations, they have proved themselves to be less than civilized. By way of example, in his novel, Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad illustrates how man can truly behave without any restraint or modal guideline when placed in a less than human environment. Conrad 's novel truly shows the journey of mans heart and when they are placed in an environment of evil…

reflected his experiences while writing his short novel Heart of Darkness. The novel follows a sailor’s employment for a Belgian trading company and his journey up the Congo River. The sailor, Marlow, encounters intense brutality and cruelty towards the natives forced into work for the Company. As Marlow searches for the mysterious and legendary station master Kurtz, he describes his experiences and interactions along the way. Heart of Darkness is often viewed as “racist” and “sexist” by…

The representation of place in the Heart of Darkness written by Joseph Conrad highlights the concept of binaries such as good and evil, civilised and non-civilised, black and white, etc. The novel’s setting illustrates humanity’s ability to succumb to primal states due to its presence in every individual’s subconscious centre. Additionally, the setting highlights historical conflicts over who the antagonist of the imperialism period really is. Lastly, the concept of a timeless setting…

The Left Hand of Darkness, written by Ursula K. Le Guin uses vivid imagery and different perspectives to create a high quality science fiction novel. The story starts with Ekumen, the union of human worlds, sending Genly Ai, the envoy, on a mission to form an alliance with Gethen. Genly Ai eagerly begins the first two years of his mission in Karhide (a country in Gethen) but is faced with suspicion and fear. Accompanying an alien dropping down and proposing an alliance, Gethenians also fear the…

Throughout life, people are faced with choices that lead them to goodness and light, or allow them to stray towards evil and darkness. In “Heart of Darkness,” by Joseph Conrad, a young seaman, Marlow, begins working for an ivory company in Africa. Early on, Marlow is compared to a man named Kurtz who works for the company, too. Marlow looks forward to meeting him as they travel on the river to the inner station where he works. However, Marlow begins to see the truth behind what the company is…

In the novel Heart of Darkness Marlow and his journey prove as a guide in revealing the true intentions of European imperialism. As it becomes revealed along this journey that the men who work for the Company justify their treatment of the native Africans as a part of European imperialism. These men also mention that their treatment of the natives is a part of the idea of imperialism to “civilize” the “uncivilized”. During Kurtz’s entire stay in the Congo, he’s open about his actions/treatments…

Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness was written during the great imperial expansion. When Europeans saw themselves as superior due to their advanced technology and their religion, which, naturally, was the ‘only’ religion used by ‘civilized people’. Was transformed to the readers through Marlow’s experience, it is a story within a story. The story of Conrad the author, comparing the prestige invasion of the Romans to England in 43 AD that lasted about 150 years as liberating…