White Lies in Heart of Darkness In his novella Heart of Darkness (1899), Joseph Conrad through his principal narrator, Marlow, reflects upon the evils of the human condition as he has experienced it in Africa and Europe. Seen from the perspective of Conrad's nameless, objective persona, the evils that Marlow encountered on the expedition to the "heart of darkness," Kurtz's Inner Station on the banks of the snake-like Congo River, fall into two categories: the petty misdemeanors and trivial lies
The Lies in Heart of Darkness A lie, as defined by Webster's dictionary is 1) a false statement deliberately presented as true; 2) to convey a false image or impression. It is generally accepted that Marlow told a lie to the Intended - the reasons for that lie are debatable. I would suggest that he told not just one lie, to the Intended, but several - that his visit itself was, in a form, a lie. The statement easily recognized as a lie, and that falls into Webster's definition 1), is Marlow's
Marlow's Lie in Heart of Darkness In Conrad's novel, Heart of Darkness, it is generally accepted that Marlow told a lie to the Intended - the reasons for that lie are debatable. Through his lie, Marlow gives Kurtz a type of forgiveness. In so doing, perhaps Marlow errs on the side of restraint, while upholding the belief that Faustian wisdom has little value. One of the main themes of Faust is that knowledge can be demoralizing, and in the end, is better left alone. From the outset of
Heart of Darkness: Black Truth and White Lies In Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, there is a great interpretation of the feelings of the characters and uncertainties of the Congo. Although neither Africa nor the Congo are ever actually referred to, the Thames river is mentioned as a support. This intricate story reveals much symbolism due to Conrad's theme based on the lies, good, and evil that interact within every man. Today, of course, the situation has changed. Most literate people