AP English Lit/Mr. Kirby
Name: Hannah Osowski
LITERARY ANALYSIS DATA SHEET
Title: Heart of Darkness
Author: Joseph Conrad
Date of Publication: 1902
Sources: www.wikipedia.com
www.History1900s.about.com
www.sparknotes.com
1515151.weebly.com/literary-devices.html
www.shmoop.com/heart-of-darkness/fatefree-will-quotes.html
www.cliffnotes.com
www.novelguide.com
Information about the period (literary, historical,
artistic, philosophical, etc.):
 Lots of revolutions from governments
 Industrial Revolution
 Class (wealth) was a big factor
 Racism
 Imperialism
Significant biographical details about the author:
 Born in 1857 in Poland
 Native language is Polish
 Wrote in English after settling in England, but always
considered himself a Pole.
 Died in 1924
Identify the genre and specify how this work fits its
characteristics:
 Novella
o Pretty short.
 Almost a romance in its insistence on heroism and the
supernatural preference for symbolism over realistic.
o Many symbols used within the text.
 Colonial Literature
o The frontier and surviving in the wild.
 Adventure tale
o Traveling and journey.
Provide a brief synopsis (include exposition, main conflict(s), climax, resolution, and major plot points):
 It revolves around Marlow and his journey up the Congo to meet Kurtz (who is supposed to be a great man).
 Marlow takes a job with a company as a sailor, but he sees the cruelty first hand to the people forced to work for the
company.
 They stop at Central Station, which is run by General Manager, who is not a good person, and the ship gets broken.
In the months it takes for the part to get in, Marlow’s fascination with Kurtz grows. While Kurtz becomes very ill.
 Natives are cannibals.
 On their voyage, they find a hut stacked with firewood with a note saying the wood is for them. After stacking the
wood on the steamboat fog rises and they find the boat is under attack by the natives. Someone blows a whistle and
they go away.
 They finally make it to Kurtz and realize that Kurtz has established himself as a god over the naties.
 Kurtz is very brutal. He has the heads of natives on wooden poles. He also leads these brutal raids for ivory.
 It turns out that Kurtz had ordered the attack on the ship for the sailors to think that Kurtz is dead so Kurtz was still
able to do whatever he wanted.
 Kurtz disappears in the night and Marlow finds him the next day crawling towards a native camp. Marlow convinces
him to get on a boat and they set down the river.
 Kurtz gives Marlow a pamphlet that ends with, “Exterminate the brutes.”
 The steamer breaks down and Kurtz’s last words were, “The horror! The horror!”
 A year after Kurtz’s death, Marlow goes to see Kurtz’s grieving fiancé. She talks of how great Kurtz was and asked
Marlow what Kurtz’s last words were. Marlow said it was her name to not shatter her illusion.
Literary Analysis Data Sheet
page 2
Identify and explain the use and effect of three
literary techniques:
1. Imagery- setting and tone (ominous)
2. A lot of similes and metaphors mostly as more
description.
3. Symbolism- a lot for darkness (meaning
uneasy, fearful, bad).
Cite and quote one example of each:
1. “The sun set; the dusk fell on the stream” (pg.
6).
2. “Swept and ungarnished staircase, as arid as
the desert.” (pg. 14).
3. “The offing was barred by a black bank of
clouds…seemed to lead into the heart of an
immense darkness” (pg. 113).
Significant Quotes
Cite and quote three significant
passages:
1. “I felt I must somehow get there
[the Congo] by hook or crook.”
(pg. 19).
2. “I began to feel slightly uneasy,
You know I am not used to such
ceremonies, and there was
something ominous in the
atmosphere. It was just as
though I had been let into some
conspiracy – I don’t know –
something not quite right…”
(pg. 25).
3. “It was a weary pilgrimage
amongst hints for nightmares.”
(pg. 31).
Explain the significance of each passage or explain how it
relates to the work as a whole:
1.
2.
3.
Marlow feels that he is inevitable drawn to Africa, as if by
destiny. This shows the theme of fate.
Marlow begins to feel nervous about his trip right after he
signs his papers. The two knitting women increase his
anxiety as they gaze at him and the other sailors with
unconcern, as if they do not care whether he lives or dies.
This shows the theme of fear.
This passage shows how Marlow, when using the word
pilgrimage, implies that his journey was so pure as to be
blessed by God. This shows the mindset that some of the
people didn’t believe there was anything wrong with their
actions towards the natives.
Literary Analysis Data Sheet
page 3
Characters
Record information for each significant major character in the work
Name
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Charlie
Marlow
Kurtz
The
Manager
Kurtz’s
native
mistress
Kurtz’s
fiancé
Role in the story
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The story is
seen through
his eyes, he is
the main
character.
An ivory trader
for the
company.
Oversee the
company’s
activities in the
Congo.
Kurtz’s
mistress
The one
Marlow has to
go see about
Kurtz’s death.
Significance or Purpose
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Sees everything first-hand
Someone everyone looks up to and
has respect/fear for. He is also a
part of a plot twist.
Able to inspire uneasiness in
others. Also responsible for the
wreck of the steamboat.
Shows a bit of Kurtz’s passion for
the natives.
Shows how other people who did
not see Kurtz in Africa still believe
the best in Kurtz. Also shows how
much Kurtz has changed in his
time in Africa.
Adjectives
1.Critical,
gullible, naïve
2. Power-hungry
3. Intimidating
4. Protective
5. Hopeful, optimistic,
mourning
Literary Analysis Data Sheet
Describe the setting(s) and explain its/their
significance:
 The Congo River
o Shows the wildness of this place as
opposed to the civilizations that England
had.
Identify and explain key metaphors, symbols, or motifs:
 The Congo River
o European means of transportation.
o Marlow related the river to a snake and a
snake to danger, meaning the Congo
River is dangerous and as unpredictable as
sly as a snake.
 Darkness
o Represents the core of our being after we
throw off the illusions and comforts of
civilization.
o Also represents evil.
page 4
Identify and explain the theme(s) of the work:
 The hypocrisy of Imperialism.
o As Marlow travels up the Congo,
he sees near slavery and other
harshness towards the natives.
o Some say they “trade” with the
natives, but Kurtz honestly says
that he uses force to get things
from the natives.
o Kurtz also talks about how he
treats the natives using
“suppression” and “extermination”.
o Natives are objects to them.
 Madness because of Imperialism.
o First used as a device [madness] to
engage the reader’s sympathies.
o Establishes social fictions.
o Also shows how humans want
absolute power because of
imperialism.
Write at least three questions or topics for class discussion:
1. Conrad describes everything in doubles (evil and good, light and dark, black and white) what is accomplished
by doing so?
2. How does physical illness relate to madness?
3. Why does Marlow lie to Kurtz’s fiancé about Kurtz’s last words?