Critical Review of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness

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Critical Review of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness The understanding of evil and its genesis could not be achieved

without submerging into the reality of iniquity. In Joseph Conrad's

"Heart of Darkness", Marlow went through an unsurpassable

physiological burden of the Congo River to understand the mystic and

the brilliance of Kurtz's dark and destructive mind and soul; the

resemblance of true evil.

This novel portrays the tragic outcome of the severe European dominion

over the helpless African population and the destruction of

fundamental human conventions and beliefs. The ignorance and

misunderstanding with which the colonists were driven to imaginary

wealth and authority nourished the hidden potential of evil that lies

within each person and brought a great wave of disaster to the Congo

River.

The novel places us into the epicenter of mysterious Congo Jungle,

full of darkness, savagery, greed and death. Marlow is another ruined

soul trying to conquer the desolation and disturbance of the Congo

River. The gloominess of the setting is encouraged by dirty with silt

river water, and hot tropically climate; which at times is almost

excruciating. The journey up the river might symbolize a road to hell,

encountering no salutary and positive things, yet encouraging

suffering and physiological breakdown.

The story takes places during a turbulent colonial period of Africa.

This factor clashes the two opposites: "civilized" whites and...

... middle of paper ...

...he

ejaculated. When Kurtz was living Marlow referred to him as shadow¸

since he was a metaphysical shadow hanging over his mind making all

his thoughts consciously be about Kurtz. However, now when he truly

understood what Kurtz was, he called him the Shadow, the true

embodiment of evil.

As Marlow's journey in Africa terminated the results of the journey

would stay in his mind forever, in the mind that went through a

dramatic transformation and now was filled with completely different

load of understanding the ills and evils of humanity. This new

perspective on society's ignorance did not give peace Marlow's mind.

He had to live suffering, yet tolerating the fact that there is Kurtz

in each one of us and that the soul destructive forces of the Congo

River might ignite in anyone triggering another tsunami of evil.

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