Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad\'s

Heart of Darkness

Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness draws a parallel between the physical journey of the main character, Marlow, and his mental or spiritual journey as he travels more deeply into the physical darkness of the African continent. The physical journey is then indicative as he becomes increasingly aware of the darkness in the human soul, which culminates in Kurtz. When Kurtz dies, the darkness reaches its ultimate level, and for Marlow, there is no return. It is unlikely that he will ever be the same again. In terms of point-of-view, the novel is structured in an interesting way. A nameless first-person narrator introduces Marlow as part of a group including a lawyer, an accountant, and the director of the company for which Marlow works. Marlow is portrayed as an outsider, without a particular profession. He nevertheless takes control of the story from the original narrator and as it were becomes both the main character and the main narrator of the story. In addition to the narrative point-of-view, Marlow also represents more than one point-of-view in terms of colonization. Initially, he reacts to events from the viewpoint of the Western colonist. This however changes as his narrative progresses.

At first, Marlow is viewed as neither part of the Western culture represented by the persons on the ship, nor by any of the cultures he visited during his journey at sea. Indeed, he is portrayed as a man without identity or culture. This makes him all the more suitable for the seduction that is to ensue from the heart of the country he is about to enter. This journey will not only alter Marlow, but also his point-of-view.

The beginning of the novel contains several references to light and darkness. Light, according to the Western point-of-view, reflects the "civilized" world that the Nellie is leaving. As such, it is described in terms of physical light: "The day was ending in a serenity of still and exquisite brilliance. The water shone pacifically; the sky, without a speck, was a benign immensity of unstained light..." (Conrad 66).

The indication is that the civilized world, in its ordered capacity, is light and beautiful.

This is juxtaposed strongly with the ensuing darkness and gloom of the ending day: "... At last, in its curved and imperceptible fall, the sun sank low, and from glowing white changed to a dull red without rays and without heat, as if about to go out suddenly, stricken to death by the touch of that gloom brooding over a crowd of men." (Conrad 66). The "gloom" foreshadows the darkness of the African journey that is soon to follow. The physical darkness also indicates the darkness in the hearts of human beings, only kept at bay by the flimsy veneer of civilization.

Marlow's point-of-view gradually shifts as he moves deeper into the African jungle, its native culture, and finally towards the inevitable meeting with Kurtz. As he arrives at Kurtz's station, Marlow is gradually seduced by the wild, uncivilized rites of the natives. He admits being attracted to them; the darkness in their hearts as it were, calling to the wild darkness in his own: "that was the worst of it -- this suspicion of their not being inhuman. It would come slowly to one. They howled and leaped, and spun, and made horrid faces; but what thrilled you was just the thought of their humanity -- like yours -- the thought of your remote kinship with this wild and passionate uproar." (Conrad 105).

This indicates a gradual shift of viewpoint from the Western, or civilized, to the uncivilized. In this, Marlow's viewpoint shift foreshadows his meeting with Kurtz. The latter is iconic of the completion of this viewpoint. The reader is therefore prepared for an increased contact with darkness as Marlow travels deeper into the physical darkness of Africa towards the ultimate heart of the matter personified in Kurtz. The decay of Kurtz's station indicates not only his absence, but also his lingering influence during the time when he was present at the station. It is central to the novel to note that the barbarian nature of the natives influenced the Western-born Kurtz and Marlow to a greater degree than their civilization. The novel closes with the indication that barbarism waits just beneath the surface of even the highest civilization. In this, Conrad makes his point regarding the true nature of humanity.

Another poignant issue in the novel is the juxtaposition of what is regarded as civilized with the barbaric displays of violence towards those regarded as barbarians. "Civilized" colonists such as Kurtz, for example, brutalize the native tribes into submission. These colonists therefore act barbarically to begin with, and it is therefore not difficult to believe that they can be utterly seduced by the barbarian way of life. This seduction ruined Kurtz's body and Marlow's soul. Indeed, even before meeting Kurtz, Marlow frequently associates him with death as well as darkness. When finally meeting Kurtz, Marlow is struck by the decay that seems to have invaded his body: "He rose, unsteady, long, pale, indistinct, like a vapour exhaled by the earth, and swayed slightly, misty and silent before me." (Conrad 142).