Examples Of Ambiguity In Heart Of Darkness

A story that uses a decent amount of ambiguity is like reading half of a story, in the sense that the reader can "fill in the blanks". The author leaves several details out in order for the reader to make his or her own interpretations. Heart of Darkness, written by Joseph Conrad, expresses ambiguity in a variety of ways. These include several details throughout the story, themes such as dark and light, and in characters including both Marlow and Kurtz. Conrad was one of the first writers to use this technique and by doing so, inspired many other 20th century writers to do the same. The story takes place when strong countries in Europe were taking over parts of Africa and imperializing every place they found. This novel is seen as a bridge between the 19th and 20 century writing styles because of the modern techniques and approach. The use of ambiguity in the themes and archetypal images in Heart of Darkness is how Conrad allows his readers to connect with the story on a personal level.

Several details from the beginning of the novel that use ambiguity include "The Company", the city where story, and the four other people introduced with Marlow. By not giving the Company or the city real names, Conrad lets the reader see them in an ambiguous way. They can be seen as not specific details that add to the plot, but instead as general organizations and places that all aided in the imperialism of Africa. This shows how everyone was involved in the actual invading of native land. The four people introduced at the beginning of the novel other than Marlow include the accountant, the lawyer, the director, and the unnamed narrator. These characters are the men that are on the Nellie with Marlow and to whom Marlow is telling his story. B...

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...s with the Russian. Marlow describes him as wearing bright patches of blue, red, and yellow. By doing so, the reader gets the impression that the Russian is neither good nor evil.

Heart of Darkness was a huge milestone in the history of literature do to the impeccable way Conrad used ambiguity to describe his story. He does this by using symbols, themes, and archetypal images. These include light and dark, the Congo river, colors, and by not explaining everything to the reader. While reading the novel, the reader is actually required to interpret the text and really think about what certain details mean. The way Conrad wrote the novel is for the reader is to look for clues and develop ideas. It is completely subjective and trying to find exact answers is not an option. This writing style opened the eyes of many writers and changed the way literature was understood.