Jesse Galkowski & Ryan Ellis
Heart of Darkness by Joseph
Conrad
Conrad was born in Russia, 1857; he died in 1924.
He wrote stories and novels, “predominantly with a
nautical setting, that depicted the heroism of faith
before the imperatives of duty, social responsibility and
honor. Writing during the apex of the British Empire,
Conrad drew upon his experiences serving in the
French and later the British Merchant Navy to create
novels and short stories that reflected aspects of a
worldwide empire while also plumbing the depths of
the human soul.” - Wikipedia
Opposing Forces in the Conflict
• Man Vs. Man: It comes down to Marlow and
Kurtz outwitting each other. Marlow and his crew
vs. Kurtz and his “savages”
• Man Vs. Self: Marlow must fight against his
urges to give in to the evil within himself. By the
time Kurtz is finally introduced he has lost the
battle within himself and succumbed to his inner
darkness
• Man Vs. Nature: Marlow must not give in to the
dark and evil urges that the jungle puts forth
Important Places, Symbols
• The River "resembles an immense snake uncoiled" Snakes offer
temptation such as with Adam and Eve
• London- where Marlow goes to see Kurtz’ wife, he saves her
husband’s reputation in this meeting. Marlow tells Kurtz’ wife that the
last words he spoke was her name, in truth they were, “The horror,
the horror!”
• Ivory- the ivory symbolizes greed and the destructive nature of man,
raping the continent of its natural wealth
• The Knitting Women- these women represented the Fates of Greek
Mythology, Conrad uses the two women knitting black wool as
foreshadowing for Marlow’s horrific journey into the interior of the
Congo
• Flies symbolize death
• The painting (woman with the torch)- Shows the contrast of dark and
light, a theme Marlow will encounter in the Congo.
Setting
• Late part of the nineteenth century
• Opens on the Thames River outside
London. Events of the story take place in
Brussels, at the Company's offices, and in
the Congo. Also some events occur in a
Belgian territory.
Villain
• “Kurtz is a man of many talents—we learn,
among other things, that he is a gifted musician
and a fine painter—the chief of which are his
charisma and his ability to lead men. Kurtz is a
man who understands the power of words, and
his writings are marked by an eloquence that
obscures their horrifying message.”
• “The fascination of the abomination… The
growing of regrets, the longing to escape, the
powerless disgust, the surrender, the hate.”
page 8
Importance of Narrator and
Relationships
• Marlow, the director of companies, is sitting on a
steam boat recalling his adventures in the
Congo. He is telling this story to a few men who
hang on every word of his gripping tale of greed,
savagery, and the depths of the human soul.
• “He resembled an idol.”
• “We felt meditative.”
• Just how far can one go into… The Heart of
Darkness?
Human Values, Alienation, and
Cultures at odds
• “At night sometimes the roll of drums… would
run up… over our heads. Whether it meant war,
peace, or prayer, we could not tell.” page 58
• Of the natives: “They were dying slowly- it was
very clear. They were not enemies, they were
not criminals, they were nothing earthly nownothing but black shadows of disease and
starvation, lying confusedly in the greenish
gloom.” Page 26
Parallels and Contrasts
• The journey on the river/ the journey into
the heart of darkness
• Marlow’s attitude towards savages/ Kurtz
embracing and manipulation of the culture.
• White men/ Black men
• “Black shapes crouched… Clinging to the
earth… In all the attitudes of pain,
abandonment, and despair.” Page 26
DIDLS & SOAPS
•
•
•
•
Elevated language
A plethora of dark and dismal imagery
Extensive detail
Stylistically, the entire book is composed
of Marlow’s account of his journey
(dialogue)
• Vernacular is pragmatic
Works Cited
• http://www.marketgems.com/heartofdarkn
ess/symbolism.html
• http://www.shmoop.com/literarydevice/literature/joseph-conrad/heart-ofdarkness/setting.html
• http://www.helium.com/items/855651literary-analysis-heart-of-darkness-byjoseph-conrad
• Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad