Heart Of Darkness Research Paper

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Recommended: Analysis of the book "heart of darkness

"We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light." (Plato). Plato states that when man is afraid of the light they have been conquered by darkness. Throughout Joseph Conrad's novel, Heart of Darkness, this quote is represented in the life's of those found in the Congo. Because these men are so fooled by the surrounding darkness, they can not see the light which represents truth. In Conrad's novel, Marlow, the main character, resembles the authors life. As a steamboat captain Joseph Conrad found himself on the Congo River looking for his next adventure, his experience in the Congo would later inspire one of his most well-known works. Heart of Darkness, describes the destruction …show more content…

The setting in the book is very important. The Congo provided many valuable resources, such as rubber and ivory, while the native people were enslaved and victimized. As Marlow travels through the jungle, the darkness is described to be the heart of the jungle, the deeper one travels, the crazier he will get, for this reason Marlow states, "And this also has been one of the dark places of the earth," (Conrad 8). When Marlow breaks the silence as the boat approaches the Congo, he compares it to the darkness of Europe. Because of the color of the natives skin they are looked down upon when the Europeans are no better, taking over their land and treating themselves as gods. "I could see every rib, the joints of their limbs were like knots in a rope; each had an iron collar on his neck, and all were connected together with a chain..." (Conrad 9). This is a clear description of a chain gang that Marlow encounters within his first couple of minutes on the island. These men are treated like criminals on their own land. The darkness starts to apply not only to the shadowiness of the jungle but the black in men souls. The setting affects the mood and allows their to be more lot development within the story and character

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