FREE ESSAY ON HEART OF DARKNESS

HEART OF DARKNESS

Title: Heart of Darkness
Author: Joseph Conrad
Setting: The storyteller, Charlie Marlow, sits on the deck of the Nellie recanting his
journey to the Congo and his perception and encounter with Kurtz and Kurtz's intended.
Plot: The telling of a remarkable horror tale to the inner darkness of man, Kurtz/Marlow,
and the center of the earth, the Congo. Charlie Marlow gives the accounts of the double
journey to the passengers on the deck of the Nellie as she is held still by the tides.
Key Characters
Charlie Marlow
Deviant [narrator (Conrad) to the reader 1] We are given a visual picture of a ship, the
Nellie, going out to sea on the Thames. The narrator describes the Director of Companies,
like a pilot; the lawyer, by his possessions; an accountant, by his action of bringing
out dominoes. But when the narrator describes Marlow he distinguishes him with a name and
a physical description. The narrator seems to idolize this man, Marlow. Just the same way
Marlow idolizes Kurtz. Marlow is physical posture symbolizes Buddha. Marlow is different
from the rest of the passengers. Quote: 'He had sunken cheeks, a yellow complexion, a
straight back, an ascetic aspect, and, with his arms dropped, the palms of hands
outwards, resembled an idol.'
Architect [narrator (Conrad) to the reader 3] The reader has been told of the Nellie
going down the Thames to the center of the earth, but the ship has stalled or held back
by the tides. This makes the passengers prisoners of the tale that is about to unfold
from Marlow's lips. This compares with Rime of the Ancient Mariner, in that the mariner
mesmerized the wedding guest with his inner journey on the outer seas. Charlie Marlow is
inspired by the darkness of the surrounding ships of war to recant his journey to the
Congo. The narrator says that most seamen have simply stories, but not Marlow. Marlow's
tales are like the way a Russian nesting doll works, open the doll and there is another
doll inside. The meaning and the characters are in the surrounding layers of the intended
destination, Kurtz and the Congo. This gives us the structure of Marlow's story
telling-his legacy. Quote: 'But Marlow was not typical (if his propensity to spin yarns
be expected), and to him the meaning of an episode was not inside like a kernel but
outside, enveloping the tale...'
Visionary [Marlow to passengers of the Nellie 3] The narrator is telling of the past
travelers of the Thames 'the dark interlopers of Eastern trade, and the commissioned
generals of East India fleets'. Fortune seekers and conquerors of times before are
related to the ivory trading and powering over the natives of the Congo. The sun is
setting the reference of the coming of a dark tainted journey. Speaking of the Thames,
Marlow calls it only one of the dark places. He is giving an introduction to his tale of
the Congo. The vision of the Thames as one of the dark places is that in the end the dark
shadow of Kurtz still follows him even to Kurtz's intended's place through the lie of
Kurtz's last words, her name. Quote: 'And this also, said Marlow suddenly, has been one
of the dark places of the earth.' 
Loner [narrator to reader 3] Marlow has just spoken about the Thames-one of the places of
darkness. Just as the ancient mariner was destined to take his fateful journey alone so
is Marlow. Marlow journeys into himself and wanders the sea unlike the other seamen who
have land bound homes. Quote: 'He was the only man of us who still followed the sea.'
Rebel [narrator to the reader 4] Marlow is telling the passengers to comprehend the
journey of a young Rome conquer garbed in only a toga pushing inland to the savagery of
the center. Parallel to Marlow's journey to the Congo armed with only his good moral
intentions of bettering the natives. Marlow is preaching to the passengers, but is in a
meditative position. His English dress and Buddha demeanor conflict in a rebellious state
of contrast with their perspective norms. Quote: 'he had the pose of a Buddha preaching
in European clothes and without a lotus flower'
Avant-garde [Marlow to the passengers of the Nellie 6] Marlow since his youth wanted to
explore the uncharted land of the Congo. When younger the map had nothing on it, but now
there was the snake of the river that had charmed him. Conrad is paralleled with Marlow
in his dream to be a seaman. Marlow had at first tried to secure a job on a ship to the
Congo on his own but was unsuccessful. He had always done things on his own power and
merit. Now, for the first time in his life he had to recruit the women to influence a
certain trading society to get the job he so desperately wanted. He calls upon his aunt
who does his bidding. Quote: 'I, Charlie Marlow, set the women to work-to get a job.'
Conformist [Marlow to the passengers of the Nellie 23] Marlow is at the central station.
The brickmaker is giving him some insight into Kurtz. The brickmaker, who doesn't make
bricks, is inadvertently telling Marlow that the manager is trying to rid himself of
Kurtz by neglecting him. The manager fears that Kurtz's would steal his job, because of
Kurtz's gifted talent of acquiring ivory. Marlow only has an ideal of Kurtz, like a sort
of religion set around the image. Marlow has been engulfed by the worship of Kurtz that
he would lie for him. Quote: 'I would not have gone so far as to fight for Kurtz, but I
went for him near enough to a lie.'
Judge [Marlow to passengers on the Nellie 23] Marlow doesn't actually lie to the
brickmaker he just lets him believe what he wants in regards to the influence that
brought Marlow there to save Kurtz. Marlow judges a lie to be appalling. Ironically, at
the end of the novel Marlow lies to Kurtz's intended to spare her feelings and he
believes Kurtz to have wanted it that way. Marlow is judging the lie and his future
actions. Quote: 'you know I hate, detest, and can't bear a lie, not because I am
straighter than the rest of us, but simply because it appalls me.'
Critic [Marlow to the passengers of the Nellie 46] Marlow's helmsman has died in the
attack on the steamer. Marlow feels that if the helmsman hadn't opened the shutter and
panicked by shooting out at the bush he would still be alive. Marlow compares the
helmsman with Kurtz in the way he was unable to fight off the engulfing darkness of
greed. The helmsman showed none of the restraint in the situation that he had shown in
his control of cannibal hungry. Quote: 'He had no restraint, no restraint-just like
Kurtz.'
Caregiver [Marlow to the passengers of the Nellie 46] Marlow is describing Kurtz after
the death of the helmsman. Marlow can't express that Kurtz is worth the blood spilled on
his shoes. Marlow humanizes the helmsman, who is a native, when he says that they had a
bond. He took care of the helmsman by guarding his back while the helmsman steered for
him. Marlow gives the helmsman an English dignity with a seaman type burial to prevent
the ravaging of his body for food. Quote: 'He steered for me-I had to look after him.'
Director [Marlow to passengers of the Nellie 47] The helmsman's death has sparked talk
among the cannibals of eating his remains. Marlow feels that by keeping the body it will
only lower the restraint of the crew. He takes control of the situation by throwing the
body over the side of the boat. He is thought to be heartless in this act, but truly he
is preserving the dignity of the helmsman and the control of the ship's crew. The
volatile situation of fighting for the remains is neutralized as it is enveloped in the
river. Quote: 'He had been a very second-rate helmsman while alive, but now he was dead
he might have become a first-class temptation, and possibly cause startling trouble.'
Jester [Marlow to red-haired pilgrim 47] The red-haired pilgrim said that they must have
made a slaughter in the bush. Basically all the man did was shoot aimlessly at the tops
of the trees. The man is boosting and Marlow makes a joke of the man's ignorant pride.
The only thing they accomplished was to make a smoke screen over the river. Quote: 'You
made a glorious lot of smoke, anyhow.'
Dreamer [Marlow to the passengers of the Nellie 51] Marlow has made if to Kurtz's camp,
and has met the Russian who's encampment he found earlier. At the campsite Marlow
believes the man to be English because he mistakes the Russian alphabet for cipher. There
was also a warning write to be careful from this point on. Marlow is listening to the
Russian describing Kurtz, when the jungle draws him away from the current reality, the
story and that moment in the story. The jungle is sucking him into the loneliness and
darkness. Marlow is feeling a moment of weakness, which is why he is spiritually lifted
out of that moment in time to the dark recesses of the jungle heart. Quote: 'I looked
around, and I don't know why, but I assure you that never, never before did this land,
this river, this jungle, the very arch of this blazing sky, appear to me so hopeless and
so dark, so impenetrable to human thought, so pitiless to human weakness.'
Fanatic [Marlow to passengers of the Nellie 53] Marlow has discovered that the fence he
thought encircled Kurtz's camp is not a fence at all, but heads on stakes. This
realization makes Marlow entranced with them. He is fixated on there appearance and goes
into grave detail. Quote: 'I returned deliberately to the first I had seen-'
Kurtz
Deviant [Brickmaker to Marlow 22] Marlow is speaking with the brickmaker of the central
station. The brick maker has a painting of a woman draped and blindfolded carrying a
lighted torch. Marlow inquires about the painting and is told Kurtz painted the somber
picture. Marlow wants to know who Kurtz is. 'Chief of the inner station' replies the
brickmaker. Marlow wants more so e is sarcastic with the man 'you are the brickmaker'.
The brickmaker must concede that Kurtz is and extraordinary man, not just a simple title,
but a unique individual. Quote: 'He is a prodigy.'
Loner [Kurtz writes 28] Marlow is laying on the deck of the steamer at the central
station when he over hears bits and pieces of a conversation between the uncle and the
manager. From what Marlow can decipher they are speaking of Kurtz. The uncle feels that
if Kurtz is without companionship maybe the climate will kill him. The manager says he is
alone, because he sent back his and assistant and a note. The note stated he would rather
be without anyone then the incompetent people the central station seemed to be able to
spare. Quote: 'I had rather be alone than have the kind of men you can dispose of with
me.'
Architect [Manager to uncle 29] Marlow is eavesdropping on the uncle and manager's
conniving and deceitful neglect of Kurtz. Kurtz's ideals and goals for the Congo bothered
the manager. The manager quotes Kurtz. Kurtz wanted to bring civilization to the
uncivilized through the use of the stations. He didn't have but a second thought of the
economic profit when he first arrived in the Congo. This parallels with Marlow's moral
intention for the natives to have a better life with technology. The stations should be
enlightenment for the natives to make them real people and better their living
conditions. The stations were more like oppressors of the natives than caregivers. Kurtz
wanted a legacy of good intentions personified through the stations. Quote: 'Each station
should be like a beacon on the road towards better things, a center for trade of course,
but also for humanizing, improving, instructing.'
Avant-garde [Marlow to passengers 43] After the steamer is attacked and the helmsman is
dead, an epiphany comes to Marlow. He may never speak to Kurtz for surely he must be
dead. Through all the descriptions of Kurtz an image is not what comes to Marlow, it is
Kurtz voice. Marlow's first impression of Kurtz is his voice. Kurtz voice is haunting and
dominant in Marlow's mind. The presentation of a voice by Kurtz gives him the first
control over Marlow's inner self. Quote: 'The man presented himself as a voice.'
Fanatic [Marlow to passengers 44] Marlow thinks Kurtz is dead. He tells the passengers he
would later find out he was wrong. Marlow though he has not yet met the man, Kurtz, has
his thoughts over powered by Kurtz's voice declaring his greed and possession of
everything. Kurtz's is so intent on having ivory that he steals, barters, and connives to
get the precious yellow white gold. Kurtz's voice in Marlow's head gives him the
impression of the two-year-old mine syndrome. You have it, it's mine. I see it, it's
mine. It's mine, mine, and mine. Quote: 'My Intended, my ivory, my station, my river,
my-'
Visionary [Russian to Marlow 50] Marlow has reached the inner station where he finds the
Russian, who is extremely devoted to Kurtz. It is no accident that Marlow meets this man
here because Kurtz had planned it in order to have an audience for his final curtain. The
Russian is talking about when he and Kurtz are camping in the forest and Kurtz talks
about everything to him. Kurtz acquaints the Russian with his wisdom of life. Kurtz
invokes visions of greatness in everyone including himself. Quote: 'He made me see
things-things.'
Survivor [Marlow to passengers 51] Marlow assumes that the Russian had been with Kurtz
since their first encounter in the encampment if the forest. This was not so Kurtz it
seems that their relationship had been interrupted by events and Kurtz's maddening mind.
Kurtz had been in the heart of this jungle for many months without necessary supplies and
provisions. We learned this in the beginning. Kurtz had suffered though two illnesses and
was helped by the Russian during these times. Through all the dangers that occurred to
get to this land of ivory wealth Kurtz had managed to continue going nothing seemed to
stop him. Quote: 'He had, as he informed me proudly, managed to nurse Kurtz through two
illnesses.'
Conniver [Marlow to passengers 51] Marlow is speaking of the Russian and the profound
influence that Kurtz has had on this man. This was curious to Marlow because this man had
the pleasure of talking to Kurtz and Marlow had not, yet Marlow was profoundly effected
internally by the voice image of Kurtz. Quote: 'The man filled his life, occupied his
thoughts, swayed his emotions.'
Oppressor [Russian to Marlow 51] The Russian is telling Marlow of the time Kurtz had
wanted to shoot him for his ivory. Kurtz had an obsession with ivory and he wanted the
Russian to fear him so he threatened him with bodily harm. Early in the novel we hear the
brickmaker make the comment he feared nothing not any man either. He was referring to
Kurtz also. The natives feared Kurtz because they say him as a god coming in with his
thunder and lighting. Quote: 'He declared he would shoot me unless I gave him the ivory
and then cleared out of the country,'
Conformist [Russian to Marlow 52] The Russian said that Kurtz had suffered too much and
he would beg him to leave. Kurtz would agree to go but then would take off on another
ivory raid. Kurtz had conformed to the greed of the area and his own fanatic quest for
all the ivory and possessions to be had from this country. Kurtz had forgot his initial
reason for coming to the Congo to improve the natives. Kurtz had conformed to the native
way of life by allowing them to worship him as a god. He had given in to the darkness of
hedonism. Quote: 'And he would say yes, and then would remain; go off on another ivory
hunt; disappear for weeks; forget himself amongst these people-'
Director [Russian to Marlow 54] There are men carrying Kurtz out on a stretcher toward
the steamer and the natives become incited to make a commotion. Something bad is going to
happen if Kurtz doesn't take control of the situation. The natives feel Kurtz doesn't
want to leave with Marlow and his crew because Kurtz had ordered the attack on the
steamer. Kurtz's words will bring order back to the procession. Quote: 'now, if he does
not say the right thing to them we are all done for.'
Rebel [Marlow to passengers 61] Marlow has woken up to find Kurtz has left the boat.
Marlow knows he can catch him because Kurtz is on all fours. The drumbeats and chants of
enchantment have drawn Kurtz to the surrounding encampments; they are taking control of
his darkened soul. It is rebellious of a sick man to leave the safety of hope and crawl
to evil. Kurtz's soul is a rebel also because it has become by far and away out of the
norms of morality. Quote: 'this alone had beguiled his unlawful soul beyond the bounds of
permitted aspirations.'
Martyr [Marlow to passengers 64] Marlow is telling of Kurtz's final words. Upon Kurtz's
face Marlow sees every facet of his character. The pride of the cause, the civilizing of
the natives, Kurtz came to the Congo to accomplish. The immense control he reeled over
the natives. The oppression of mankind as related with the 'heads on stakes', and the
total loss of his soul to the uncivilized world of greed and domination. Kurtz made the
ultimate sacrifice for the cause his inner most light and now he shall forever live in
the heart of darkness. Quote: 'The horror! The horror!'
Theme
The Heart of Darkness is more than a recantation of a journey to the inner jungle of the
Congo; it is an intrinsic journey of the self and evil that lies dormant within all human
souls. Unfortunately the evil can be expelled and used until it envelops the whole of our
being. The evil of greed for the possession of ivory and power engulf Kurtz. He shows
this with the quote 'My Intended, my ivory, my station, my river, my-'. When Marlow's
helmsman dies he compares the helmsman with Kurtz in the way he was unable to fight off
the engulfing darkness of greed. The helmsman dies in an attack on the steamer just miles
away from Kurtz's camp. The helmsman showed no restraint only terror by opening the
shutter of the pilothouse to aimlessly shooting at the darkness of the bush. This
remarkable horror tale to the inner darkness of man is engrossed and exploited by the
physical journey to the Congo. The narrator says that most seamen have simply stories,
but not Marlow. Marlow's tales are like the way a Russian nesting doll works, open the
doll and there is another doll inside. The meaning and the characters are in the
surrounding layers of the intended destination, Kurtz and the Congo. The quote 'to him
the meaning of an episode was not inside like a kernel but outside, enveloping the
tale...' shows the point of the surrounding layers of the journey. The symbol of Marlow
as Buddha gives insight to an inner journey through meditation. The journey has the
'notion of being captured by the incredible' the utmost epiphany of the 'essence of
dreams'. The deeper we travel into the novel and the Congo with Marlow the closer we come
to our inner evil. When Marlow looks upon Kurtz's dying face he sees every facet of the
inner journey. The pride of the cause, the civilizing of the natives, Kurtz came to the
Congo to accomplish. The immense control Kurtz reeled over the natives. The oppression of
mankind as related with the 'heads on stakes', and the total loss of Kurtz's soul to the
uncivilized world of greed and domination. Kurtz made the ultimate sacrifice for the
cause his inner most light and now he shall forever live in the heart of darkness. Kurtz
horror is the ultimate evil the vision of the devil within his very life force. In the
end of the novel the dark shadow of Kurtz and the Congo follow Marlow to Kurtz's
Intended, where Marlow goes against his morals and lies to her about Kurtz's last words.
Kurtz uttered 'the horror the horror', but Marlow tells the Intended it was her name that
escaped in his final breath. The quote that incites this theme is 'The vision seemed to
enter the house with me...like the beating of a heart-the heart of conquering darkness.'
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