Heart Of Darkness By Joseph Conrad

There are indefinite ways to analyze darkness. Darkness can be defined as the state or quality of being dark, or the absence or deficiency of light. This means that it is literally dark, as in there is no light so everything looks the same or it is pitch black because it is dark. The obvious example darkness is when it is dark outside during the night because the sun completely leaves the sky. However, darkness is wickedness or being evil also. Villains in fairy tales are described as dark due to the traits they possess. Moreover, another definition for darkness is to have lack of knowledge or enlightenment. This refers to a mental state where one may not be as intelligent due to acquiring a dark mindset. Similarly, darkness is shown to be

Marlow, the protagonist, describes his journey through the Congo River on his way to Africa to find the blank space on maps. The Congo River is portrayed as never ending and a tiring event, “The old river in its broad reach rested unruffled at the decline of day after ages of good service done to the race that peopled its banks, spread out in the tranquil dignity of a waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth” (7). Visual imagery is used to describe the Congo River where Marlow and his friends travelled through. Moreover, the ‘ages of good service’ implies that the river is growing weary, as have the passengers that are travelling along it. The author also compares the river to meeting ‘the uttermost ends of the earth’ which holds the unknown, similar to the symbol darkness in this scene. Once Marlow reaches his destination, a Company in Africa, he sets out to meet his boss with: a few crew men, the company manger, natives and cannibals. However, the route Marlow takes is different from before because the quality of the water changes dramatically, “Streams of death in life, whose banks were rotting in mud, whose waters thickened with slime” (21). The water fills with darkness due to the decades of death it watches, which can relate to the symbol for lives of the people who live there. The diction used in the quote has negative connation, like

Visual imagery is used to underline the importance of darkness found in the scenery of Marlow’s journey, specifically the Congo River. Likewise, the evil personalities of main characters Kurtz and Marlow prove that darkness in characters can result in darkness playing a key role in the novel. In addition, the plot contains signs of racism and colonialism, proving that darkness is evident in terms of ignorance. The symvol of darkness is seen as important throughout the novel. Darkness represents the mystery that he characters encounter during their journey. Moreover, the symbol darkness questions of the actual event took place or if the narrator is just imagining the realistic events. Overall, the symbol of darkness lays out different possibilities for the novel to flourish and effectively convey the main morale of the