Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness

Turn-of-the-Century Literature Unit Test, Part 2

Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is a complex novel which alludes to the evils of the human condition. Through the eyes of the narrator, Marlow we are able to observe early European imperialism in central Africa. The secondary protagonist in the novel, Kurtz, is a European idealist who is left indefinitely traumatized by his presence in the Congo. As the reader follows Marlow’s journey to the “heart of darkness” we learn more and more about the secondary protagonist. His ideas are drastically changed as before meeting Kurtz- Marlow romanticized his life. When he finally meets him, he learns that Kurtz is not what others claimed. Through literary elements such as paradoxes and diction, the reader

In the beginning, Marlow is intrigued by the mystery of him. He frequently eavesdrops and takes note of what others disclose. When given any free time, such as when waiting for rivets to construct his ship, he thinks about Kurtz. Finally after meeting him and getting to know him his feelings change drastically. As Kurtz passes away the reader is able to observe Marlow’s underlying feelings. He explains Kurtz’s shallow nature explaining “My Intended, my station, my career, my ideas—these were the subjects for the occasional utterances of elevated sentiments.” This quote exemplifies strong diction- the repetition of words such as “my” capture the extent of how egotistical he was. Marlow conveys the impertinence of “wealth and fame” as the delusional dying man reflects on his previous judgments. On the other hand, diction such as “the shade of the original Kurtz” gives the image of the man that Kurtz once was creating the sense that Marlow is honoring Kurtz, a stark contrast to the reaction one would expect in light of Kurtz's actions. After his death, Marlow is left in control of maintaining Kurtz’s honor. Instead of telling others Kurtz’s satirized idea of "the noble cause" and "the cause of progress" which he used to justify killing, Marlow chooses to maintain his