Heart Of Darkness 8 Essay, Research Paper
Heart of Darkness, written by Joseph Conrad is a landmark of modern fiction. It is onsidered to be one of the greatest works of literature of its time. In Heart of Darkness, a boat is anchored in the Thames River outside London. A sailor by the name of Marlow begins to reminisce of a certain incident in his past, when he commanded a steamboat on the Congo River. This reflection forms the plot of the novel. In his yarn, Marlow aspires to explore the uncharted African jungles. His aunt arranges for him to be captain of a Congo steamer. When Marlow reaches the Company’s Outer Station in Africa, he is confronted with white greed and black slavery. He discovers disease ridden African workers awaiting their death. He also meets the Company’s chief accountant. The accountant tells of Mr. Kurtz who is and agent who has sent more ivory back from the jungle than the other agents combined. Marlow becomes obsessed with Kurtz throughout the remainder of the story. Marlow arrives at the Company’s Central Station, following a difficult 200-mile tramp. Upon arrival, he learns that the steamer he was supposed to command has been wrecked. He meets the local manager, who has no moral sensibility, only business sensibility. He mentions that Mr. Kurtz may be ill at his station upriver and that it is fundamental to reach him as soon as possible. Marlow learns a great deal about Kurtz in the time spent waiting for his steamer to be repaired. At one point he talks to a brick maker, who feels that Kurtz is admirable, yet he is resentful towards him because of his many talents which make him a likely candidate for promotion. On another occasion, Marlow overhears a conversation between the manager and his uncle, an explorer. The manager despises Kurtz because of his principles as well as his abilities. After three months of repairs, Marlow, the manager, a crew of three or four whites, and 30 Africans begin the dangerous expedition up the Congo River to Kurtz’s station. The crew faces many obstacles. They come upon a reed hut fifty miles below the station. They discover wood stacked for the steamboat along with a message warning them to approach cautiously. A couple of mornings later they awaken surrounded by a thick fog through which they hear a melee of threatening cries. They set sail after the fog lifts. Suddenly they are assailed with a torrent of arrows. The white men on board fire fervently into the brush, meanwhile, Marlow’s African helmsman gets a spear between the ribs. Marlow sounds the steam whistle in order to deter the attackers. He casts the dead helmsman overboard in order to inhibit the temptation of the hungry cannibal crew. Upon arrival at the Inner Station, a Russian sailor who has been caring for Kurtz greets them. He had left the wood and the message for the crew. The young Russian is a radical admirer of Kertz, although he admits that Kertz gained his wealth through violence and intimidation. He told Marlow how the wilderness had a great impact on Kurtz. He began to go mad, he participated in “unspeakable rites”, and wrote a report about improving the savages through benevolence. Marlow is astonished to see that the posts in front of the station house are crowned with heads. Mr. Kurtz arrives on a stretcher. Kurtz does not really want to leave the jungle where he is deified. He reluctantly allows himself to be brought aboard the boat, although his African mistress threatens to lead another attack. Late that night Kurtz flees to his followers’ camp, but Marlow stops him. They depart the next day. As they steam back down river, Kurtz slowly perishes. On his deathbed he has what seems to be a moment of enlightenment, and he cries out, “The horror! The horror!” before he dies. Although Marlow nearly dies from the fever also, he survives and returns to Brussels, where he visits Kurtz’s Intended. Nearly a year after Kertz death, she is still in mourning. She regards Kertz as a noble man. She begs Marlow to repeat Kurtz’s last words to her. He is unable to shatter her delusion: “The last word he pronounced was your name,” he lies. She is engulfed in emotion and tears.The entire novel parallels the author’s own life. Conrad lived from 1857 to 1924. He was a novelist who lived in his work. He wrote about the experiences as if he were writing about himself. The story is written as seen through Marlow’s eyes. Marlow is a follower of the sea. His voyage up the Congo is his first experience in freshwater navigation. He is used as a literary device in order for Conrad to enter the story and tell it out of his own philosophical mind. In addition to being a somewhat autobiographical tale, Conrad uses the novel to teach us a lesson. The story reveals extensive symbolism due to Conrad’s theme based on the lies and good and evil which interact together in every human. The “heart of darkness” stands for many things. It stands for the interior of the jungle, the Inner Station, Kurtz’s own black heart, and perhaps the heart of every human being. Respectfully, as we venture deeper into the jungle, we peer deeper into the corruption and despair that Conrad saw at the heart of human existence. Every person Marlow meets on his venture contributes something to the plot as well as the overall symbolism of the story. Conrad wants us to acknowledge this and prevent the darkness in our hearts. Conrad shows that one of the best ways to fend off darkness is through work. The most unattractive and insane characters in the book were those who did not do their work. Another value Conrad celebrates is self-control. Conrad shows us two examples of individuals who lack this quality. One is the black helmsman on Marlow’s boat when his inability to restrain himself leads to his death. The other example is Mr. Kurtz, whose lack of self-restraint is part of the core of his immorality. At the closing of the novel Conrad shows that there is good and evil in all of mankind. Merlow lies to Kurtz’s Intended, thus protecting her positive ideology of her beloved. By doing this, he shows that some good can come out of a lie, which is regarded as an evil.The novel also has political meaning. The novel was written in the years preceding WWI. It was a time of imperialism. There was a rush for exploration and colonization. When applied to the time in which it was written, the novel takes on an even deeper meaning. It is a warning of the effects of imperialism. It shows how exploration and colonization coupled with human nature can easily lead to evil and greed. In addition, the novel exposes the exploitation of the slaves in Africa, as well as the inhabitants of the Congo. Heart of arkness, written by Joseph Conrad is a stimulating novel. It evokes considerable self-evaluation. It is a useful lesson which can be applied to any person at any point in history, as well as an intriguing story.