Exposing the Darkness of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness

Revealing Lies in Heart of Darkness

A lie is an untruth. It can be a false statement or a statement left unsaid that causes someone to be misled. In life, lies are told for many different reasons. In fiction, they thicken the plot. In Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Marlow dislikes lies and therefore only tells two, both in extraordinary circumstances. The lies that Marlow tells show several things about him. For example, even though he has been touched by evil, he is still a good man. He never actually tells a lie, instead he lets others continue to believe what they already believe. This helps him justify his lies.

Marlow, in the middle of his story, interrupts himself to say "You know I hate, detest, and can't bear a lie." He does not think that he is better than the rest of the world. Lies simply appall him. Marlow feels there is a "taint of death, and a flavor of mortality in lies." Lying makes him feel "miserable and sick, like biting something rotten would do." Since he feels this way, he would only tell a lie in extraordinary circumstances.

The first lie that Marlow told was in an extraordinary circumstance. It was told because of a notion that it would somehow be of help to Mr. Kurtz. The lie was told in order to allow the brick maker to think he had more influence in the company than he actually had. This lie would help Kurtz in two ways. Firstly, it would help Marlow to get the rivets he needed to fix the boat, and that would provide Kurtz with either a means of communication or a way out of the jungle. Secondly, it would provide Kurtz with an ally who was perceived as influential. Marlow knew that others were jealous of the Mr. Kurtz’s success. Some saw him as the next "Director of the Company," and some were trying to find a reason to hang him. If Marlow was considered powerful, he might be able to help Mr. Kurtz. This was an extraordinary reason for telling a lie.

The second lie was also told in extraordinary circumstances. It is told to "the intended" so that the image of her dead fiancé would not be destroyed. She had waited at least two years for her lover to return from Africa, and during this time had built his image up in her mind.