How Is Human Nature Inherently Sinful

Human Nature

"Man is the cruelest animal" (Nietzsche). This quote can most certainly be justified by Heart of Darkness. Throughout history, man has acted as a dominate force and is the main source for evil in this world. As man is surrounded by an uncivilized setting, it makes it easier to fail. Conrad portrays this in his book by using certain literary elements. In the Heart of Darkness, the occurring theme that human nature is inherently sinful is displayed through character development, symbolism and setting shown in the book.

In Conrad's novel, Heart of Darkness, multiple characters change based off of the series of events that occur around them. The easiest character to pick out of the book is Marlow. At first, Marlow ventures out with the intention of civilizing the Congo, but as he arrives, he is in shock to see that there is absolutely no effort to edify the natives. "And also this," said Marlow suddenly, "has been one of the darkest places on earth" (Conrad 3). Here, Marlow comes to the realization of how human nature is inherently sinful through viewing how the natives are treated. As the book continues, Marlow's moral code becomes like those who he has surrounded himself with. For example, as the Helmsman is speared to death, Marlow acts in a

surprising manner. (Conrad) A man who once valued life, is now upset about the the blood on his shoes instead of the man he saw die right next to him. Lastly, Marlow's morals cripple when he lies multiple times for Kurtz (Conrad). He claims to hate the taste it puts in his mouth, but dos nothing about it. The uncivilized nature of the Congo seems to eat away at Marlow's morals only leaving the sin that is displayed in Conrad's novel.
Conrad does a great job of incorporating multiple examples of symbolism within Heart of Darkness. More specifically, he shows that appearances can be deceiving. The white sepulcher is the perfect example of this. On the outside, it shows to be aesthetic. As you take a look inside, the building is filled with corruption. (Conrad) The case is the same all throughout the Congo. Characters like the accountant, who dress in all white, but whose soul is truly black with the way he responds to the natives moans of starvation. Hypocrisy of humans points to the fact that they are evil through natural instincts. Another great example is Kurtz's painting that is hung up in the Central Station. (Conrad) The painting shows a blindfolded woman holding a torch, symbolizing how the Congo is blind to the truth. Even more so, how man is unaware of what is wrong and does nothing to stop it once it is in effect.
Another literary element Conrad weaves into Heart of Darkness is setting.

The book takes place in the Congo, which illustrates a naturally sinful place. This takes a toll on Kurtz, causing him to come back to his natural instincts of greed and evil desires. (Conrad) We are bound to fall back to our natural instincts when we are away from civilization. At one point, Kurtz is willing to take ones life in exchange for a small bit of ivory. (Conrad) The setting of the Congo causes anyone who takes a step in to refer back to their sinful nature. Conrad includes the river in the book. The river is viewed as a snake, representing deceit and lies. This goes hand in hand with the theme that humans are naturally

sinful.
In Heart of Darkness, the literary elements of character development, symbolism and setting prove that human nature is naturally sinful. As the Congo turned into more of a cataclysm, the characters behavior followed. Certain characters can be defined by the choices they make when the tough gets going. Conrad does a good job showing how amplified the choices one makes are when they are away from civilization. Humans will always come back to their natural senses of sin at one point or another.