The main theme of "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad is the inherent brutality and savagery that lies within the human psyche. The story follows the journey of the narrator, Marlow, as he travels up the Congo River to meet the enigmatic European trader Kurtz, who has become a god-like figure among the native Africans. Along the way, Marlow encounters numerous examples of the dark side of human nature, including greed, racism, and violence.
One of the key themes in the novel is the corrupting influence of power. Kurtz, who is initially described as a brilliant and idealistic man, becomes increasingly obsessed with amassing wealth and power as he spends more time in the Congo. He becomes ruthless in his pursuit of these goals, ordering the murder of native Africans and engaging in other unethical and immoral behavior. Marlow is horrified by Kurtz's descent into madness and realizes that the quest for power can bring out the worst in people.
Another theme in "Heart of Darkness" is the theme of colonization and imperialism. The novel takes place in the Congo, which was at the time a Belgian colony. The European traders and colonists in the novel, including Kurtz, view the native Africans as inferior and treat them with cruelty and contempt. The exploitation and oppression of the native people by the Europeans is a clear example of the destructive nature of imperialism.
A third theme in the novel is the theme of madness and insanity. Kurtz, who is portrayed as a brilliant and enlightened man, eventually descends into madness due to the stress and isolation of his position in the Congo. His obsession with power and wealth drives him to the brink of madness, and he becomes a shell of his former self. The theme of madness is also reflected in the other European characters in the novel, who are driven by their own greed and desire for power, leading them to engage in increasingly desperate and reckless behavior.
Overall, "Heart of Darkness" is a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of the darkness that lies within the human psyche. Through the journey of Marlow and the story of Kurtz, Conrad illustrates the destructive nature of greed, racism, and imperialism, and the corrupting influence of power. The novel serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of succumbing to the darkest impulses of human nature.
Heart of Darkness at a Glance
Marlow is motivated by the desire for adventure but during his time the only way to explore was via imperialism. He travels into the Congo to find a man, Kurtz, that he doesn't know, but begins to admire him nonetheless. Prompt 3: Explain the meaning behind the title. Kurtz has been on the island for many years, left alone with his own thoughts. Marlow often finds himself in awe not only of the impenetrable darkness of the wilderness itself, but also of the dark deeds and ideas it inspires in men. Marlow discovers that his primary assignment is to take the steamship upriver in an attempt to find and retrieve this valuable company asset, or what may be left of him. Marlow was a sensible man and he could make out by just looking at Kurtz, how he will be doomed.
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The general manager informs Marlow that he could not wait for Marlow to arrive, and tells him of a rumour that Kurtz is ill. In his 1983 criticism, the British academic Cedric Watts criticizes the insinuation in Achebe's critique—the premise that only black people may accurately analyse and assess the novella, as well as mentioning that Achebe's critique falls into self-contradictory arguments regarding Conrad's writing style, both praising and denouncing it at times. After midnight, Kurtz returns to shore. Nowhere did we stop long enough to get a particular impression, but there was general sense of wonder. He is petty and conniving and assumes that other people are too.
Heart of Darkness: Character List
The man he replaces commits suicide. In Blackwood's, the story is titled "The Heart of Darkness" but when published as a separate book "The" was dropped from the title. Apocalypse means the end of the world, and as the film's title suggests, Coppola explores the ways in which the metaphorical "darkness" of Vietnam caused an apocalypse in the hearts of those sent there to fight. In the case of the Belgian Congo, traders forced Africans into slavery to support the extraction of ivory for a quickly expanding global market. Apart from using derogatory terms when speaking about them, they were chained and shackled and forced to work without much food. In your opinion, who is the true hero of the story? People who have been released into the darkness go low on resources, such as food and water. Such an image of civilization in the jungle—or of light in the darkness—represents another contradiction of the European civilizing mission.
Heart of Darkness: Setting
In 1917, for future editions of the book, Conrad wrote an " Youth. Mots Pluriels 13 April 2000 : 20—28. One, with his chin propped on his knees, staring at nothing, in an intolerable and appalling manner, his brother phantom rested its forehead as if overcome with a great weariness; and all about others were scattered in every pose of contorted collapse, as in some pictures of a massacre of a pestilence. Darkness thus seems to operate metaphorically and existentially rather than specifically. But, if you be like, the protagonist, Marlow, your life will be glorified in a right manner.
