Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad

The Premise The novella begins with a group aboard a ship sitting on the Thames river in London during the late nineteenth century. The narrator is one member of the group and the protagonist, Marlow, is another. Marlow recounts a journey he has made into “darkness” and the profound impression it has left upon him. Heart of Darkness is a “frame”, a “story within a story” – the narrator describes Marlow’s story, with few interruptions.

Loved and Hated but Significant Heart of Darkness is one of the most important works in all of English literature because of its ambiguity – which makes it loved or hated depending on the reader’s interpretation. There are infinite ways to interpret particular words, phrases, passages, images, characters, settings, symbols, and themes within – which can make the reading fascinating or frustrating or both. British novelist E.M. Forster disparaged the very ambiguities critics found so interesting. African novelist Chinua Achebe derided the novel as an example of European and imperialist racism.

Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) A Polish national (Russia) who later became a British citizen. Did not speak fluent English until his 20’s. Spent time in both the French and British merchant marines during the Age of Imperialism. Between 1874 and 1894, when he became a writer, Conrad spent time in port or upon the sea. Many of his characters are based on people he met or heard about during this time.

Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” With the help of a relative, Conrad took a job as a captain of a Belgian steamer in 1890. (The previous captain had been killed.) He had long dreamed of sailing the African Congo (darkness). However, Conrad witnessed shocking and depraved examples of human corruption and evil (darkness): primarily, the inhumane treatment of the natives and rampant, destructive greed for material wealth and power. He saw human skeletal bodies left to rot, many from chain gangs forced into labor. Disease was rampant, particularly dysentery and malaria. After only three months, Conrad was forced to quit when he, himself, grew ill – he never fully recovered (physically, mentally, or spiritually).

The Age of Imperialism During Conrad’s time, European monarchies carved up the African continent into colonial possessions. Under the guise of the “White Man’s Burden”, European monarchs and companies exploited rich natural resources, particularly ivory, as well as human capital. At the time of Heart of Darkness, the Congo was a Belgian colony personally held by King Leopold II (See: King Leopold’s Ghost). One obvious interpretation of the novella is that it serves as a criticism of imperialist philosophy.

The Plot Marlow’s story mirrors Conrad’s own. However, Heart of Darkness utilizes the “MacGuffin” of the mysterious character, Mr. Kutz, to move the action toward a climax and resolution. Marlow’s eventual quest will be to find Kurtz, a manager of a company ivory trading post and a man both admired and hated. The novella moves methodically as Marlow travels to the African coast and up the snake-like Congo river, deeper into the “Heart of Darkness”.

Mr. Kurtz Mr. Kurtz is a mysterious figure, known to Marlowe only through the various characters and artifacts the captain finds along his quest. Kutz is manager of the inner station, deep within the Congo, and he brings tremendous wealth to the company and power to himself. Kutz is a complex figure who is both admired and hated by everyone in the novella, including Marlowe, who eventually becomes obsessed.

Analysis: Patterns of Three 3 parts to the novella 3 breaks in Marlowe’s story 3 stations 3 women 3 central characters 3 characters with names

The Quest, the Journey, and the Allegory The Quest: A character or characters embarks on a quest to find something (The Holy Grail in L’Morte D’Arthur, Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, or other stories with MacGuffins). The Journey: A character or characters embark on a physical journey from one place to another which mirrors a mental, emotion, and/or spiritual journey towards enlightenment (The Odyssey, “The Inferno” and The Divine Comedy). The Allegory: A symbolic story in which its symbolic parts form a whole (again, “The Inferno” and Divine Comedy).

Light and Dark Light and dark are two prevalent symbols in the novella which manifest themselves in a multitude of ways. Light=Knowledge, Dark=Ignorance; Light=Good, Dark=Evil; Light=Civilization and Christianity, Dark=Paganism and Savagery; Light=Europeans (white), Dark=Africans (black); etc., etc. Chart as many examples of light and dark as you can find and their possible meaning. Note: These symbols can also be subverted or even viewed ironically; for example, although Europeans might view themselves as “light”, implying civilized, intelligent, just, pure, etc., their cruel and corrupt actions imply otherwise. Ivory???

Kurtz as the Shadow Carl Jung theorized that individuals had extroverted and introverted personalities: The Self, Anima/Animas, Persona (mask), and Shadow. Shadow= Dark side repressed and hidden by our ego. Composed of fears, desires, weaknesses, impulses, perversions, etc. See it (or project it) in others. Encounters with it may reveal deeper thoughts and fears. Kurtz can be viewed as an archetypal shadow of Marlow.

Point-of-View The novella is first-person plural point- of-view from the perspective of an unnamed narrator, who includes himself with other members of the group listening to Marlow’s story. Marlow’s story of his past experience is also in first-person point-of-view but: - The frame narrative mimics the oral tradition, implying mythic status to Marlow’s story and further: - Creates an unreliable narrator (again, ambiguity).

Genre: Modernism Although there are several broad or specific genres associated with Heart of Darkness, including “adventure”, “novella”, “allegory”, it is probably best categorized as “Early Modernist Fiction”. Modernism (Literature): Emerged as a reaction to the profound changes to Western society in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries (Industrialization, Imperialism, etc.) Features include: experimentation (themes and craft), uncertainty/ambiguity (meaning is ironic, open-ended, multi-layered or inconclusive), mood of disillusionment

For your consideration: Tone Characterization Mood Structure Symbolism/Allegory Archetypes Imagery Patterns/Motifs/Themes Irony Selection of Detail Point-of-View Connotation