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Thematic significance of imagery used in the Heart of Darkness
Analysis on joseph conrads heart of darkness
Analysis on joseph conrads heart of darkness
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The novel Heart Of Darkness by Joseph Conrad begins on the deck of the Nellie, a British ship anchored on the coast of the Thames. Marlow begins telling three men about a time he journeyed in a steamboat up the Congo River and uncovered the savagery that can consume mankind's heart. However, in order to engage the reader the author employed literary devices that allow vivid details to emerge in one's mind. For instance, the way in which the author tells the story of Marlow's encounter with Kurtz causes the reader to contemplate the questionable actions and motives of people. Also Marlow's journey through the Congo reveals the darkness enmeshed in the river that is “fascinating-deadly-like a snake”, which plays a huge part in allowing the audience …show more content…
Throughout the ride down the Congo river Marlow felt uneasy but claims “I got used to it afterwards; I did not see it anymore; I had no time. I had to keep guessing at the channel; I had to discern, mostly by inspiration…” (Conrad 103). Even though everything is pretty much new to Marlow he stays calm most of the time and regains his composure after attacks. The way in which the reader is able to notice the feelings of Marlow are through the short sentences separated by semicolons then a longer sentence that expresses concern but control. Similarly, despite Marlow's glorified image of Kurtz being impaired he states that “Kurtz was a remarkable man. He had something to say. He had said it.” (Conrad 148). After the treacherous voyage to find Kurtz that ultimately ends with his death Marlow realizes even though Kurtz murdered people he had left something remarkable behind and Marlow vowed to preserve it. Lastly, the one thing that is showcased through syntax is Marlow's struggle to not become savage himself. For instance, when they observe the natives dancing wildly he asks “Who's that grunting? You wonder I didn't go ashore for a howl or dance? Well no-I didn't. Fine sentiments you say? Fine sentiments be hanged!” (Conrad 106). The rhetorical questions reveal that Marlow knew that he could have acted just like them if he …show more content…
The author makes Marlow talk in a way that invites the others to chime in with comments even though they don't. On many occasions Marlow is explaining events then implies “Annoying, you know, to hold your own coat…” or “No use telling you about what...” as if waiting for a comment (Conrad 85-86). The other people on the boat rarely say anything back to Marlow but regardless he continues as if they are listening intently by indicating them directly. Other attitudes expressed is his enthusiasm when he discovers something and exclaims by saying “By, Jove!” (Conrad 120). The tone changes very little depending on the situation but maintains a tranquil and passionate
The things that Kurtz had both done and seen in his life were in fact horrible, but was something. that Marlow was able to see past. This is later clear by what is in. his thoughts as he talks to the woman. He condemns mankind as a whole with this statement. .
Marlow’s journey into the Congo River is treacherous and unpredictable. Therefore, in a desperate need for civilization and escape from savagery, the boat serves as a sanctum from the natives, and becomes the link to moral civility. Throughout Marlow's voyage, he and his crew encounter mass amounts of fog. The fog symbolizes ambiguity in its most primal form, not only obscuring but it also distorts. The fog impares not just physical visibility, but which often ends up being wrong, which suggests that the fog has both literally and figuratively clouded Kurtz’s judgement. Marlow’s need to be on the boat, reflects the boat as a safe haven, a place where he can examine his own moral conscious more clearly. When his is not on the boat, he is less decisive and his judgement and moral compass are
Many works of literature not readily identified with the mystery or detective story genre nonetheless involve the investigation of a mystery. Sometimes finding out the answer of the mystery can illuminate the meaning of the work as a whole. This is present in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. The mystery in this novella is about a character named Kurtz.
The voice of Kurtz is heard and realized not in the familiar words of others, but in the journey down the river into the unknown. People’s inability to pronounce Kurtz’s name suggests the authenticity of Kurtz’s own voice and the weakness of the words used to describe him. When describing Kurtz, familiar vocabulary fails altogether; Kurtz remains a word with little meaning. Marlow first hears of Kurtz from the Company’s chief accountant at Outer Station. When asked who Kurtz is, the accountant responds, “He is a very remarkable person” (37).* The accountant does not mention his name without adding t...
Heart of Darkness is Joseph Conrad's tale of one man's journey, both mental and physical, into the depths of the wild African jungle and the human soul. The seaman, Marlow, tells his crew a startling tale of a man named Kurtz and his expedition that culminates in his encounter with the "voice" of Kurtz and ultimately, Kurtz's demise. The passage from Part I of the novel consists of Marlow's initial encounter with the natives of this place of immense darkness, directly relating to Conrad's use of imagery and metaphor to illustrate to the reader the contrast between light and dark. The passage, although occurring earlier on in the novel, is interspersed with Marlow's two opposing points of view: one of naïveté, which comes before Marlow's eventual epiphany after having met Kurtz, and the matured perspective he takes on after all of the events leading up to his and Kurtz's encounter.
· Marlow eavesdrops on a conversation between the manager and uncle. He learns that the manager resents Kurtz.
... a great man, Kurtz, to observe and learn from his actions, and to revel in his perceived greatness, however, the great Kurtz had already succumbed to the jungle before Marlow even knew of the man’s existence. From the onset, each experience of Marlow’s quest was riddled with bewildering challenges and produced twisted, rather than expected, outcomes. Upon every twist, Marlow finds himself becoming disenchanted with his intended mission due to the cruel misfortunes he encountered along the way. Additionally, Marlow’s inability to control the situation led to both personal frustration and doubt. Marlow’s own emotional and philosophical journey is nearly as dark as the physical evil lurking in the native filled jungles of Africa. Marlow was trapped by his circumstances before his journey began, resulting in his own regret, disgust, desire to surrender and hatred.
This situation of waiting for Kurtz allows Marlow to fantasize about Kurtz and create a larger than life figure out of a man who he’s never met before. Soon Finding Kurtz becomes an all-out obsession for Marlow; even the night before they meet Kurtz, he wishes to press on despite the danger. Here the reader can see that Marlow is willing to get to Kurtz at all costs. When Marlow does finally make contact with Kurtz, his fantasy carries over into the person who he sees Kurtz as. Marlow is willing to overlook some of Kurtz’s shortcomings and is very willing to see his greatness. Marlow is obviously fond of Kurtz, as it can be seen in the passage when he speaks of Kurtz’s “unextinguishable gift of noble and lofty expression.” Here the reader can observe that Marlow is truly fond of Kurtz’s. The narrator even chooses to side with Kurtz against the manager; even though he hardly knows the man. Kurtz has also managed to get the native people to worship him as a god, and has mastered their language. This makes Marlow respect him even more. Marlow’s point of view allows him to foster both the reality and the fantasy of Kurtz, and though he is very fond of Kurtz, he is still able to see the truth in him as
...ributed to Kurtz loosing track of his life emotionally, and later physically. Kurtz loved her, and his heart went cold as she was separated from his life. This can be seen in the story at the conclusion in a dialogue between the intended and Marlow, where she asks Marlow what Kurtz's final words were. Marlow lies, not because of his friendship with Kurtz, but because he recognizes the importance of him to her (and visa versa.)
Thus, in this novel, the characters of Marlow and Kurtz, are, at one time, shown to have been dominated by their super-ego, brought up in the British society believing in the White man’s burden. Then, both the characters journey through the African jungles, where they are confronted by horrors that they struggle to stay human and civilized. While Kurtz gives in completely to his id and becomes an inhumane barbarian, controlled by his wants and wishes; Marlow doesn’t completely give in as much as Kurtz but does remain psychologically affected from his experiences. Finally, through this intense struggle between the personalities of the characters, Conrad tries to tell us that human personality is indeed very fragile, and can be compromised without restraint.
While Marlow is in Africa, he travels to the Inner station to meet the Great Kurtz, the man Marlow has been hearing about since he first arrived at the coast. After going through all the dangers with his steamboat, he survives the journey and meets Kurtz in person. However, Marlow finds out that Kurtz was not the great person he had heard from others, but a mad man. Kurtz was an ill man, who was near his death. After Kurtz dies, Marlow leaves Africa and returns to Belgium to meet one of Kurtz's close acquaintance, his fiancé. However, before Kurtz died, his last words were nothing close to what Marlow had said to Kurtz's fiancé. Kurtz's last words were (pg.116)"The horror! The horror!," however, Marlow talks about how Kurtz was a great human being and about his great plans to civilize Africa, rather than telling her the truth about the real Kurtz in Africa. Marlow decides not to tell her the truth because, he didn’t want her image of Kurtz to change and know about his lunatic life at the inner station. Kurtz had a complete opposite life in Africa than he had back in Belgium. Also, not only Kurtz's fiancé will be confused, his close associates would be all be enlightened. For these reasons, Marlow decides not to tell Kurtz's fiancé the truth about Kurtz's last words.
Marlow starts out as just as everyman, trying to put some bread on the table. His original plans were setting out to make money, but his journey turns into so much more. His expedition turns into a quest to find and save Kurtz, and to understand the people so many were prejudice against.
On one hand, Marlow is saved by his self-discipline while on the other hand Kurtz is doomed by his lack of it. Before Marlow embarked on his voyage to Africa, he had a different view. Due to propaganda, he believed that the colonization of the Congo was for the greater good. In his head, he judged that the people of Africa were savages and that colonization would bring them the elation and riches of civilization. Despite an apparent uneasiness, he assumed that restraint would function there.
By the time Marlow and Kurtz meet, Marlow is already well aware of the similarities they share. Both are imperialists, and while Marlow detests the treatment of the natives by his employers (Belgian colonists), he also makes apparent his abhorrence toward the Africans. On the other hand, Kurtz abandons the pretense of helping the natives achieve civilization, as displayed by the Europeans. Instead, he adopts their customs and becomes their leader in the never-ending quest for ivory. "He began with the argument that we whites, from the point of development we had arrived at, 'must necessarily appear to them [savages] in the nature of the supernatural beings- we approach them with the might as of a deity' (Longman, 2000, p. 2226). Marlow also admired Kurtz' resourcefulness and survival skills, especially his perseverence through jungle fever. "The wilderness had patted him on the head....it had taken him, loved him, embraced him, got into his veins, consumed his flesh, and sealed his soul to its own by the inconceivable ceremonies of some devilish initiation. He was its spoiled and pampered favorite." (Longman, 2000, p. 2225).
Conrad uses the character of Marlow to make use of his own thoughts and views about the people in the Congo. He feels pity for them as he sees them falling down carrying heavy packages and Kurtz commanding them like a batallion of troups. This sight angers Marlow and when he gets to Kurtz, it’s too late. Even he has been pulled in by the darkness. Conrad makes an effective distinction between Marlow and Kurtz.