isolation in heart of darkness

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Recommended: Analysis of Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Have you ever been alone? Felt alone? With only yourself and your mind? Eventually our mind takes over, and makes up for the solitude. With isolation comes time, and with to much of it, can be harmful. In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness many of the characters are alone in there own way. Marlow finds himself on a journey feeling nothing but blank space between the few people around him, and like no one understands what’s going on with him and his mind. Kurtz seems to always find himself without anyone really with him, always alone somewhere. These occasions alone give all the characters a lot of time, maybe too much of it. With only themselves and there thoughts. All this overthinking makes them mentally crack and subconsciously break down. The solitude of ones mind leads to the destruction of ones reason. Eventually the mind takes over.
Throughout the book only Charlie Marlow and Jim Kurtz are given names. This leaves an unattachement from all the other chracters. All the other characters seem to soley be funactional parts in the novel. This personal separation takes out a personal connestion with the other figures. Having no names for anyone else makes it diffult to understand there perspective and where they are coming from, as well as making a bond with the narrator as he tells the story. With people being called
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“he” or “the knitting old women” (Conrad 81) feels asthough the author doesn’t want you to get caught up with ther role and mainly concentrate on the main purpose of the novel.
As Marlow starts his journey through the water into Africa alone, and feels separated from everyone. He lets himself embark on this trip where he feels no one understands him. He believes he is alone and no one is there for hi...

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...rad 70). He was enguphed in his own emotions and was unable to escape his mind. No matter the concequences good or bad he had no choice but this once his mind took over. His mind, and being confined to himself truly were capable of anything he wanted weither better or worse. His long time in the Congo only added to the down fall of his life. Kutz becomes a savage of his broken mind, and what broke it was his solitude. His minf being unable to make reasonable decisions and choices anymore. His premeditated evil only was glorified when that’s all he has to feel and think about.
Throughout Heart of Darkness everyone is in one way or another alone. This is just a magnified of the lonliness and isolation in everyones lives. Only you know what is going on in your head and how you feel. If all you have is your own thoughts they eventually corrode your mind and mentality.

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