Voyage to Darkness

"Life is a journey that must be traveled no matter how bad the roads and accommodation," Oliver Goldsmith, an Irish novelist and poet, once reiterated this universal philosophy. His philosophy has been seen and observed throughout many ages of life and works of literacy including Joseph Conrad's famous work Heart of Darkness. In Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad's protagonist, Marlow, is forced to deal with an environment that he has never encountered. Throughout his journey, Marlow faces dark experiences that unveil the true nature of human beings that ultimately challenges his social values.

The mass extermination of the African population that Marlow notices on his journey compel him contemplate on where he stands on events like genocide. Kurtz, a man described as gone mad, utters the words "The horror! The horror!" to Marlow as a indication of the genocide that has been in happening in Africa. (Conrad pg 68). Kurtz words references the awfulness of the civilized on the account that they treat primitive worlds like garbage. Developed society not only exploit the resources of less urbanized but they kill millions as seen in the novel. The mass genocide of Africans in Heart of Darkness demonstrate how even the most develop are capable of death. Ironically they are not civilized, instead they are their own savages. The jungle is where "...death is so treacherously slurred with life..." and their is 'life-in-death..." (Stewart 27). As Marlow heads deeper into the river, life is closely related to death. In essence, just like life and death are intermingled, so are Marlow codes of values. The dark cruel action of slaughter expose and challenges Marlow's moral/social values. Death and genocide that Marlow sees must be dealt with by hi...

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...things that societal value seem not to answer entirely and because of these ideals he develops his values He sees death as normal because of the savagery environment he faces down the river. Social values are challenged because according to society death is not suppose to be perceived as okay. When Marlow first started his journey he had an idea of right and wrong. By the end of the journey his insight of right and wrong dies along with Kurtz.

Human nature ,the actions of savagery, has been disciplined by the social order of civilization. An order that ,when confronted with horrid terrors, is put at risk to fall apart. Marlow is the catalyst to the unfolding of savagery and ultimately the questioning of value put forth by society. Revealing that civilization, the stage of human social development though to be the most advanced, is itself a producer of darkness.