Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad influenced the 20th century with its commentary on racism in society and the emptiness of human kind. The novel influenced T.S. Eliot through commentary on human kind and the influence can be found in his poems The Waste Land and The Hollow Men. The savagery of the human race is the main focus of Heart of Darkness. T.S. Elliot understands human kind as a primitive state that, in its most simple form, is a terrible existence. The novel’s savagery greatly influenced Eliot in the writing of these two poems.
In Heart of Darkness the character Marlow travels to the heart of Africa as a steamboat captain employed by “The Company,” a Belgian company that trades ivory in the Congo. When he arrives, Marlow finds the native people used as slaves for the hard labor involved in the ivory trade, and the white, European traders overseeing the slave labor—both groups savage and inhumane but on opposite ends of the spectrum. Marlow sees the simplistic inhumanity of both the white and black men involved in the ivory trade. Marlow views the natives as the simplest form of man and nearly inhuman in terms of intellectuality. The white men there have a different savagery about them. The dehumanization of the native people shows how brutal and evil even civilized man can be. Marlow is tasked with locating and retrieving the enigmatic trader Kurtz. Kurtz has gone rogue and now leads a tribe of natives that worship him as its god. He uses savagery to kill and steal ivory from any competing trader in his area. He is the company’s best trader, but his methods have become too inhumane; therefore, the company wants to take him out of the wild. Marlow has time to learn as much as he can about Kurtz as he is waitin...
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...me.
The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil
waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber un-
der an overcast sky - seemed to lead into the heart of an immense dark-
ness.(Conrad)
Conrad reflected on the history of civilization that the Thames has seen. London was the core of civilization, development of the wild, uncharted lands, around the world. From the Thames, came the colonization of the world for many years, but now the Thames lacks the old spark of civilization. The beacon of light that used to spread the reaches of civilized man is now leading to “an immense darkness”(Conrad). The Thames now represents the greed and evil aspirations of the inhabitants of London. “Now this river has become both for Conrad and Eliot an ignoble waterway of commerce. The glory that was England has vanished” (Mcconnell)
There are many takeaways from the book, “The Heart of Darkness.” If the reader stops to read between the lines of words and considers the hidden meanings behind them, they can see many real world applications of this book’s morals. In the book, the protagonist Marlow tells his audience a story about when he worked for a Belgian company that sent him to the African Congo to navigate and pilot through the virtually unexplored country. During his trip, Marlow is appalled by the darkness in the hearts of men working for the company. At some point during the story, Marlow’s job of navigating Africa shifts into a search for a significant businessman named Kurtz. This man in particular is the center of many conversations. Shortly after meeting Marlow,
The mind is a wonderful thing. It allows us to think on three very different levels. One we choose to express, one we don’t choose to express, and one we do not even know exists. All these stages of thinking are clouded over in Joseph Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness. Three menacing forces occur that completely take over the white man to act inappropriately. They accuse others of acting savage, when they violently act against people of other cultures. They conform to specific beliefs, and push aside their subconscious thoughts. These men also have an abundance of ignorance that makes them feel false superiority. The Heart of Darkness reaches into the minds of readers, to prove that all of civilization is surrounded by an abundance of forces that can fog our mind, and darken our hearts.
Achebe’s claim that the Thames is used as a civilized world that mocks Africa and its supposed “triumphant beastiality” is strong, but the setting itself may be seen as nothing special, causing confusion (338). Stuart Oliver, writer of “Navigability and Improvement of the River Thames,” writes that “the Thames has traditionally been used to provide consumable products, water power, and transport” (166). Any citizen of Britain could have used the Thames, including Conrad. His selection of this specific river may not be an attack on Africa but a logical choice in what was available. Conrad could have used the Thames when visiting the Congo, an idea only leading some to question their own knowledge and ideas of Conrad’s work. Caryl Phillips, a member of Yale University’s English department, states in “Was Joseph Conrad Really a Racist?” that she disagrees with Achebe, for she has “never viewed Conrad—as Achebe states in his lecture—as a thorough going racist” (60). “Conrad uses colonialization,” she writes, “...to explore [the novel’s] universal questions about man’s capacity for evil...I constantly ask myself, was Conrad really a racist? If so, how did I miss this?” (62). The themes Conrad uses are true to the world that surrounds his character Marlow. For Phillips, this is not an act of racism but a
Conrad’s main character Marlow is the narrator for most of the story in Heart of Darkness. He is presented as a well-intentioned person, and along his travels he is shocked by the cruelties that he sees inflicted on the native people. Though he is seemingly benevolent and kindly, Marlow shows the racism and ignorance of Conrad and in fact of the majority of white people in his era, in a more subtle way. Marlow uses words to describe the blacks that, though generally accepted in his time, were slanderous and crude. He recalls that some of the first natives he saw in the Congo looked at him “with that complete, deathlike indifference of unhappy savages” (80; part 1). Marlow casually refers to the Africans with the most offensive of language: “Strings of dusty niggers arrived and departed…” (83; part 1). To Marlow, and thus to Conrad, the Africans are savages, dogs, devils, and criminals. Even the stories that Conrad creates for Marlow to narrate are twisted and false. The natives that Marlow deals with in the book are described as cannibals, and they are even given dialogue that affirms th...
The Heart of Darkness, a complex text was written by Joseph Conrad around the 19th century, when Europeans were colonizing Africa for wealth and power and were attempting to spread their culture and religion in Africa. It was also a period in which women were not allowed to participate in worldly affairs. Therefore, the text deals with issues such as racism, European imperialism, and misogyny. This essay will look at the different themes in the novel and argue whether or not The Heart of Darkness is a work of art.
Joseph Conrad's novel Heart of Darkness uses character development and character analysis to really tell the story of European colonization. Within Conrad's characters one can find both racist and colonialist views, and it is the opinion, and the interpretation of the reader which decides what Conrad is really trying to say in his work.
Asking the right questions is indeed an art form . It is however an even bigger burden to try to answer from an analytical presepective these subjective questions which inspire answers and explanations to the ultimate “why” and “how” . As readers we are obligated to carry with us an open mind, an analytical eye and room for suggestive arguments when trying to dissect a piece of writing. Joseph Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness offers the perfect platform for interpretation. With a dozen shades of foggy gray's, the short story is begging for a set of eyes that can see it through. Without proceeding too far into the novella, one can draw out a great deal of analytical suggestions as to what the title itself implies. The word Darkness seems to be a consistent theme throughout the book. So much so, that the amount of weight it carries has given it a special place on the cover. Many critics have found common ground on deciphering the interpretation of the word .The concept of darkness could be respresenting evil. However, some significant subjective questions remain unaswered: Exaclty which character in the novella has fallen victim to this evil? Is it Conrad himself, Marlow, Kurtz or the natives? All of them? Are there different forms in which this evil can manifest itself? Is it talking about darkness in the literal or figurative sense? Would we be considered naïve if we thought evil could be contained or is darkness a necessary evil we all posses and an undeniable part of our reality?
Marlow, the main character in Heart of Darkness, often recognizes the Europeans' dehumanization of the Africans. As Marlow approaches the company offices at the Outer Station he sees "a scene of inhabited devastation" (Conrad 24). He catches sight of a chain gang of half starved, animal-like Africans. Trying to rationalize the situation, Marlow tells himself that these Africans are criminals, and somehow deserve their ...
A nation of tortured slaves with bodies so emaciated one could count the ribs, death lingering in every corner as overworked natives line the ground with their lifeless forms, a people so scarred that evil men are allowed to rule as gods. Unfortunately, the gruesome description reigns true for African tribes that fell victim to the cruelty of colonialism. Pointing out the abhorrent evils of the imperial tradition, Joseph Conrad wrote Heart of Darkness to expose the possibility of malevolence in a human being. Throughout the novella, Conrad illustrates sickening images of the horrendous effects of colonizing African tribes while incorporating themes such as a reversal of black and white imagery, the “fascination of the abomination”, and the inherent evil within humanity. Uniquely, Conrad often describes good and virtuous situations or people using the commonly negative description black. Likewise, Conrad also uses the word “white” to describe negative, evil, or unfortunate events and people. Another use of theme arises as Conrad’s main narrator, Marlow, becomes fascinated with the savage people and the cruelty under which they live. Although the situations and people are described as wild, Marlow pays special attention to the details of these people because they are all human, like him. Lastly, the protagonist, Kurtz, falls into deep evils as his soul is consumed by power-hungry and greedy ambitions. Conrad often discusses the possibility of evil within every man if the environment is unrestrained and open to a dictatorship-like control. Despite the main idea of the novel being the evil within man, a native Nigerian professor, Chinua Achebe, greatly criticizes what he believes to be both obvious and subtle racist undertones through...
Through the usage of individual characters, Conrad illustrates the differences between dark and light and black and white created by colonialism. Marlow and Kurtz can be as two halves of one soul. Throughout the tale, Marlow is disgusted with what he sees during his employment with the ivory company. He is shocked and angered at the horrible treatment of the black workers. By the end of his tale, Marlow has turned f...
In Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, the attempt to define the cultural line leads to the corruption, greed, and evil of the white man. Even when knowledge would seem to counteract lines of hatred, the enlightenment only provides a striking reminder of the inescapable darkness that can still reside in the hearts of man. Throughout the novel, the white man is plagued by his comprised definition of culture. In the Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad sheds light on how ignorance destroys the balance between nature and culture.
Despite the advances in Britain’s economy, the souls of the people were not similarly enhanced. While the Victorian Era was one of progress, there was much evil and cruelty as well. The Victorian weaknesses were especially noted by Joseph Conrad, who lived during this era. He knew from first-hand experience the evils of colonialism and racism. He was able to see the hollowness of civilization in the world, and he viewed that hollowness as a great evil. This became the theme of his book, Heart of Darkness. Conrad demonstrated the hollowness of man in the descriptions, actions, and thoughts of his characters.
Heart of Darkness is told by Marlow, a contemplative sailor. Marlow begins his journey up the Congo River to meet Kurtz, a presumed prestigious leader. He is offered a job by the European government to work as a riverboat captain along the Congo River, watching over the waterways trade. Along the way, Marlow comes across many run down stations with hundreds of native slaves. The native people of the region have been forced to work, against their will, in the government bases. “The cruelty and squalor of imperial enterprise contrasts sharply with the impassive and majestic jungle that surrounds the white man’s settlements, making them appear to be tiny islands amidst a vast darkness.” (Spark, 2014) Marlow eventually arrives at the Central Station, where he meets many contemptible characters. He experiences many suspicious incidences including the sinking of his ship and hearing rumors of the infamous Kurtz. Kurtz is rumored to ...
While Heart of Darkness offers a powerful view into the hypocrisy of imperialism, it also delves into the morality of men. Darkness becomes a symbol of hatred, fear and symbol of the power of evil. Marlow begins his story believing that these elements exists within the jungle, then with the natives and finally makes the realization that darkness lives within the heart of each man, even himself. People must learn to restrain themselves from giving into the "darkness." Marlow discusses at one point how even suffering from starvation can lead a man to have "black" thoughts and restraining oneself from these thoughts would be almost impossible in such hardship.
By the time Marlow and Kurtz meet, Marlow is already well aware of the similarities they share. Both are imperialists, and while Marlow detests the treatment of the natives by his employers (Belgian colonists), he also makes apparent his abhorrence toward the Africans. On the other hand, Kurtz abandons the pretense of helping the natives achieve civilization, as displayed by the Europeans. Instead, he adopts their customs and becomes their leader in the never-ending quest for ivory. "He began with the argument that we whites, from the point of development we had arrived at, 'must necessarily appear to them [savages] in the nature of the supernatural beings- we approach them with the might as of a deity' (Longman, 2000, p. 2226). Marlow also admired Kurtz' resourcefulness and survival skills, especially his perseverence through jungle fever. "The wilderness had patted him on the head....it had taken him, loved him, embraced him, got into his veins, consumed his flesh, and sealed his soul to its own by the inconceivable ceremonies of some devilish initiation. He was its spoiled and pampered favorite." (Longman, 2000, p. 2225).