It is easy to look at others and see their faults and weaknesses, but it is hard to see the same vices in ourselves. In the novella Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, this universal human flaw can be seen in the character of Marlow. While it appears that Marlow escaped the darkness, really he remained just as lost in the wilderness as the rest of those involved. The truth is that Marlow was not the exception. He may have escaped Africa, but he did not escape the darkness. Marlow thought that he had only “peered over the edge” (pg. 119), seen into the darkness, when really he had fallen into it. He had been seduced by the snake. It should have been obvious to Marlow that there was something wrong with this company. There were countless clues right in front of him. Nothing was masked or hidden, made to appear wholesome. First of all, the way that he got the job was something that should have raised suspicion. The previous captain had died “in a scuffle with the natives” (pg. 12). That bit of information should have made Marlow reconsider taking the job or at least raised some questions concerning the circumstances of the “scuffle.” Aside from how he got the job, from when he first set foot in Brussels, Belgium, Marlow saw so many off-putting things. He describes the city as a “whited sepulcher” (pg. 14)-a symbol of death. It is a biblical allusion from the book of Mathew. In a passage Mathew describes “whited sepulchers” saying that they “appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness” (Matthew 23:27). The fact that Marlow recognizes this shows that he is not completely ignorant to the truth about the company. Then he walks into the company’s office positioned on “a narrow and deserted street in deep shadow” (pg. 14), and he sees these two women knitting black wool, looking as though they were “guarding the door of darkness” (pg. 16). Basically everything was telling him not to go behind those doors-not to take the interview-and Marlow chose to do it anyway. At one point Marlow even says it was as if he “had been let into some conspiracy,” into “something not quite right” (pg. 15). Clearly, Marlow knew that there was something nefarious about the whole business, and yet he took the job just the same, thus disproving his innocence in
If there is one part of life that humans have trouble overcoming it is natural disasters. They are unexpected, incurable, and often unconquerable. One specific type of natural disaster is that of sickness. Plagues are disastrous evil afflictions of an epidemic disease causing a high rate of mortality ( Merriam-Webster ). A historically famous plague in the fourteenth and fifteenth century is the Black or Bubonic Plague. The social and economic affects of the plague in Europe were detrimental to the population and economy.
The Black Death had profound effects on Medieval Europe. Although most people did not realize it at the time, the Black Death had not only marked the end of one age but it also denoted the beginning of a new one, namely the Renaissance.
On page 111, Marlow finds an older book on sailing called An Inquiry into some Points of Seamanship. While looking through the pages, he admires the amount of work that was put into composing it. All of the information about each topic amazes him. Marlow views the book as a physical, tangible object that shows someone’s work, which gives doing work a purpose.
· Marlow eavesdrops on a conversation between the manager and uncle. He learns that the manager resents Kurtz.
”(Conrad, 16). This demonstrates that at this point, Marlow is still an Englishman who is able to control his feelings and words even if they are hostile or demeaning. This also foreshadows to the reader that Marlow’s brain may change, but not in the measureable size like the Doctor has implied, but in a psychological sense that may trigger savagery and uncivilized behaviour from a previously respectable man. This relates back to the thesis as it shows that Marlow is suddenly becoming upset for the first time and is questioning the reasons for why he must complete this part of his job. This differs from Sphere because it is shown in Heart of Darkness that Marlow is becoming annoyed at personal questions as he is viewed as a high status symbol whereas Dr. Johnson is only upset because of the lack of communication between him and the Navy due to the regulations set in place that prohibit certain things from being said.
Imagine living in a time filled with nothing but fear. The thing you fear cannot be touched or seen but will put you to a slow miserable death. In the 1300s people were struck with a great plague, which has now been named “The Black Death”. The Black Death killed off populations with just one sweep. Historians call this the biggest tragedy of all time. The question is what caused this plague and how does something like this happen? Overtime historians have boiled it down to 2 and some may say 3 explanations, which are religion, science, and humans. With the help of a book The Black Death by Rosemary Horrox I was able to find explanations of them all. Who may know which is the correct reason for such a thing but what your think caused it is for you to decide.
Marlow’s thoughts are so consumed by Kurtz, that he is built up to be much more of a man than he truly is. In turn, Marlow is setting himself up for a let down. He says at one point, “I seemed to see Kurtz for the first time...the lone white man turning his back suddenly on the headquarters, on relief, on thoughts of home...towards his empty and desolate station”(P.32). When Marlow reaches Kurtz’s station, he begins to become disillusioned. He begins to hear about, and even see, the acts that Kurtz is committing, and becomes afraid of him. He sees in Kurtz, what he could become, and wants nothing to do with it. He does not want people to know he has any type of relationship with him, and says in response to the Russian, “I suppose that it had not occurred to him that Mr. Kurtz was no idol of mine.” (P.59). It is at this point that he begins to discover the darkness in his heart.
“At least everything is behind you now. The evil is thousands of kilometers away, so it can’t touch you.” Marlow met the eyes of the accountant, who noticed how is eyes appeared vacant. He wondered if the vacancy led straight down Marlow’s core.
Marlow observes many kinds of abuse of power by other whites, simply because they have better weapons of war. When the manager severely battered a young black boy for the burnt shed Marlow disapproves. However, when he sees abuses and unjust treatment he does not physically try to stop it. Instead, he just turns away and accepts that it is happening. That is one of Marlow's flaws, he does not support his convictions.
In Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" and Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" the reader learns more and more about human nature as Marlow, Captain Willard, go farther and farther up the river in search of Kurtz. An evil side lies within every man, but this evil remains repressed by society. When moving up the river and farther away from civilization, the evil side begins to break out. Whenever basically different cultures meet we are led to discover ourselves and can even drive us to perceived madness.
Marlow is driven by morality and is able to see what is right and wrong; he is not blinded to the truth. The truth that these “civilized men” are destroying countless numbers of people so that they can worship th...
... Marlow doesn’t believe she is worthy of the truth, so he lies to her. "I could not tell her. It would have been too dark" (124).
...s to look at Kurtz as a hero for all that he had accomplished, no matter how evil. Marlow?s obstacles as the hero are not the overcoming of a dragon or evil villain. It is the eternal battle of the story of a Hero versus Antihero. Marlow?s blindness to Kurtz?s impurities are both his strength and weakness. His ignorance to the greatness of his own qualities can best be stated one way: ?The Horror.?
Every human being is born into a race and a culture. These are what separate one person from another. Is it possible to fit into a place where you don't belong? Your culture and race does not make you who you are, but they do play an important role in molding you. They can limit our beliefs in ourselves and which tasks we find important to learn how to do. With all of these afflictions, we do seam to be on a train with a one way track. Our lives appear as if they are set before us, just waiting for our shoes to fit the roles described therein. Natives have there roles which are separate and different from the foreigners, but how far do they differ?
In the novel Heart of Darkness, there are several themes including Good versus Evil, Power, Femininity, and Fate. Two themes are further prevalent and significant. These themes are restraint and identity. They are the two most noteworthy themes in the book because both capitalize on the complexity and flaws of human nature.