Comparisons and Contrasts in Heart of Darkness
Comparisons and contrasts are important devices which an author may use to help convey his thoughts and feelings about a situation or an event. Joseph Conrad makes use of these devices in his novel Heart of Darkness. Throughout the novel when he was trying to convey a deeper meaning about a situation or a place, he would us a comparison or contrast. The comparative and contrasting themes in the story help to develop Conrad's ideas and feelings in the Heart of Darkness. Light verses dark, the Thames verses the Congo, the Savages compared to the civilized people, and the darkness of both worlds are all contrasts and comparisons that are important to the meaning as well as the understanding of this novel.
The most obvious contrast found in Heart of Darkness is between that of light and dark. In the beginning of the novel when the sun set upon London, the city began to light up yet the narrator describes the light as a "lurid glare under the stars" (Conrad 6). The lights from the city illuminated the Thames River. Because London is described as being light, the light then symbolizes civilization, or at least Conrad's view of civilization. Conrad's view of civilization is one of great despise. Civilization is a place where evil is ever present but ignored and people believe they know everything. The light is the knowledge that we have gained through exploration and the civilizing of places that have not yet been civilized. In contrast there is the darkness. Represented in the novel by Africa and the Congo River, the darkness is the evil that lurks in the unknown. The darkness is full of savages and cannibals. It is the uncivilized and uninhabited part of the world where people eat people and the savages lurk in the trees and in the darkness. Africa is the "heart of darkness," the place where man's inner evil is brought out in the open and is displayed through their thoughts and actions, such as those on Marlow's boat, letting the bullets fly into the jungle without reason or need.
The contrast between light and dark is very important when attempting to understand Conrad's thoughts and ideas about civilization and what it really is. As the novel progresses there is a shift from light to dark. Conrad gradually changes his views of London and of civilization. The darkness begins to expand its borders outside of Africa and the greed and inner evil of man is revealed in Europe as well as Africa. This is revealed throughout the novel as the men arriving Europe display their greed for money and they disrespect and cruelty towards Africa's natives. Europe becomes darker in the mind of Marlow as the novel progresses. He realizes that the darkness of Africa for the most part is that of mystery and the unknown, whereas the darkness settling upon London is that of greed and hate.
The contrast between the Thames River and the Congo River is also made very evident in the novel. The Thames River is described as calm and tranquil. It is a place of light both in terms of being illuminated by the city at its shores and as place that is known and is not mysterious. In direct contrast, the Congo River is a winding snake. It is dark and treacherous, a place of evil. The contrasting of these two rivers shows us the difference between the tamed and the untamed. The Thames River is soothing and serene; it symbolizes a society that has been tamed by law and order. The Congo on the other side represents the untamed. It is the wilderness where law and order is not present and one must do what one has to, to survive. As is said it represents a place of evil and unrest where humans eat humans and government is not present.
In the novel Heart of Darkness there are also a few comparisons. Though they are not as significant as the contrasts, they play an important role in developing the Conrad's meaning in the novel. One of the most evident comparisons is between the "savages" and the civilized people. The native people of Africa are referred to as savages throughout the entire novel. The white people in the novel proved they had as many savage qualities in the novel as the natives had. The white people treated the natives like animals. They fired their guns into the jungle at the natives with no apparent reason almost as if it was for sport. The natives showed a little more restraint than the white people. The natives also had very savage customs including cannibalism which is what made them savage. In the novel the native and the Europeans may have not been at the same level but they both at times showed traits of savagery. The white people used their guns without reason and the savages ate humans. Therefore they both are unorthodox in their ways making them equals in this novel.
Another comparison was the darkness in Africa and the darkness in London. Marlow described the darkness in Europe saying, "Light came out of this river since---you say Knights? Yes; but it is like running blaze on a plain, like a flash of lightning in the clouds. We live in a flicker---may it last as long as the old earth keeps rolling! But darkness was here yesterday (6)." London started off the novel as a place of light, but as Marlow shared his thoughts about London and civilization in general, he frowned upon civilization and the ways in which society civilizes new nations. Africa began the novel as a dark place of mystery and suspense, a place nobody knew much about. As the novel progressed, Africa was corrupted as civilization began to probe and prod its most inner secrets. This brought out the worst in all men who traveled there. Africa changed from a place of mystery, to a place of greed and hate. This drastic change happened in Europe as well. In the beginning of the novel Europe was presented as the place of light and civilization. As Conrad developed his thoughts on civilization, it became obvious that he frown upon Europe because of the darkness and the greed in the hearts of its men. This is again obvious throughout the novel as Conrad describes the events the Europeans indulge themselves in, in Africa. This comparison shows that no place was safe from the darkness and no man is safe from his own inner evil.
All of the comparisons and contrasts discussed in this paper added up to one idea; No one is safe from the darkness and no one is safe from there inner evil. When put in a place where greed and hate drive the heart's of men, darkness will prevail. The comparisons and contrasts in the novel are important in developing Conrad's themes and ideas in the novel. The darkness and the light, the Thames and the Congo, the Savages and the Europeans, and the darkness present in both worlds are all important contrasts and comparisons important to the meaning of the novel.
WORKS CITED
Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer. New York: Bantam Books, 1982.
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