Heart of Darkness RRS

Transcription

1 Heart of Darkness RRS Title: Heart of Darkness Publication Date: 1899 Author: Joseph Conrad Nationality: Polish Author s Birth/Death Dates: December 3, 1857 August 3, 1924 Distinguishing Traits of the Author: Joseph Conrad was born on December 3, 1857 in Berdychiv, a section of Ukraine that was under Russian rule during that time. He earned his British citizenship in 1866, though he continued to perceive himself as a Polish man due to his childhood in Poland. His short stories, Lord Jim and The Secret Agent, are based off of his experience as a seafarer for the French and British merchant marines. His three part novella, Heart of Darkness, reflects Conrad s real life adventure in the Belgium owned Congo. His literary works most famously reflect the conflict of the innate malice in human nature. Conrad died on August 3, 1924, inkent, England. Setting of the Work: Late 1800 s Conrad chooses this time because he wants to incorporate the ivory trade and the worst of human imperialism in order to discuss his perspective on the human condition. 1. Brussels The narration, which presently takes place in 1890, starts with Marlow signing with the Company in Brussels. Marlow refers to Brussels as the whited sepulcher, or a

2 hypocrite, because the Europeans preach their noble intentions for imperialism though in reality they merely seek profit (62). They exude assumed goodwill and believe in the facilitation of the white man s burden, though they are all just influenced by affluence. The people are especially hypocritical with the flaunting of their wealth and the boasting of the Company s expeditions for ivory despite their stingy attitudes. 2. The Congo Marlow ventures deep into the Congo in order to find Kurtz, who is thriving in the Inner Station. The Congo festers inhumanity, which is represented by Kurtz s fall from grace that lands him on the throne of the barbaric natives. Though the early stations are lifeless with their abandoned and deteriorating environment, the jungle is teeming with a life of its own. The journey on the snaking river proves to be challenging, as it carries Marlow and his crew into the heart of darkness hidden within the jungle. The inability for light to penetrate through the jungle reflects man s inevitable digression into savagery while inside the darkness. 3. Outer Station The Outer Station represents the incongruity of the European presence in the Congo. Marlow is appalled by the inefficiency of the Outer Station. Men blast into a cliff face but make no impression, machinery lies around the grounds uselessly, and the natives dig a hole that serves no practical purpose. The Chief Accountant manages to maintain a clean appearance, reflecting the nature of the company that employs him. He goes to great efforts to maintain an immaculate, European appearance despite being in the middle of the jungle, paralleling the company s goal of maintaining civil appearances and motives, useless facades in the face of the atrocities its employees commit. The Outer Station is the outer reach of Man s immorality. 4. Central Station The Central Station is obsessed with ivory, so much that Marlow notes that the men appear to be bewitched by their rapacity. Marlow is appalled by the inefficiency of the camp. When he arrives, the manager pulls him into his office to ask how long it will take to fix the boat, but Marlow has not yet been given the chance to assess the situation; the talk is useless and only gives semblance of progress. Marlow is also curt with the manager s spy because he serves no practical purpose, further evidence of Marlow s emphasis on hard work. He condemns the Eldorado Exploring Expedition, not because he has sympathy for the natives but because the group has no foresight or concrete purpose.

3 5. Inner Station Marlow becomes thoroughly disillusioned with Kurtz at the Inner Station. When he finds Kurtz crawling to a native ritual of the occult, he is tempted to strangle Kurtz; however, he refrains from doing so because he realizes that the action serves no practical purpose. Also, eliminating Kurtz requires a savagery just as deep as Kurtz s, and Marlow keeps himself from wandering down that path. He notes that he has never breathed an atmosphere so vile when he arrives because he is disgusted with both the manager and Kurtz (79). The manager poorly hides his relief at Kurtz s illness, and Kurtz himself contradicts the noble visions Marlow had constructed of him. The brutality of the two men sicken Marlow figuratively at the station and literally on the return trip. Brief Plot Synopsis: The novel Heart of Darkness explores the corruption of man without society through the story of Marlow s journey, which is recounted by him years later to fellow sailors. Offered a job in a Belgian company to travel to the Congo to meet Kurtz, an honorable man who had produced large profits for the company, Marlow visits Brussels to meet with the company. As Marlow comes to sign his contract and receive his payment, he sees two old women outside the office knitting. Before he leaves, Marlow is told by his aunt that he and the company will help make a difference in humanity by civilizing Africa. At his arrival, Marlow discovers the cruel reality of the inhumane treatment of the natives as slaves by the Europeans. He encounters many natives dying from starvation and from diseases. At the mouth of the Congo River, Marlow meets a Swedish man who tells him of another Swedish man who had hung himself. As Marlow reaches the Company station, he sees a lot filled with broken machines with random blasting and a chain gang of natives. Later, Marlow discovers a group of natives without the appearance of life who are slowly dying. At the station, Marlow meets with the chief accountant who fears that he will be spied on and tells Marlow of the success of the outer station. Then, Marlow travels the 200 mile trek for fifteen days with sixty other men to reach the Central station but is delayed as his steamship had sunk due to the general manager s negligence. In his meeting with the manager, the manager tells Marlow of the greatness of Kurtz but also of his illnesses. After three months, Marlow is able to fix the steamship and continues his journey, where he sees natives dancing with a shed house on fire, filled with trading goods. During his journey, Marlow listens to the discussion of the general manager and his uncle, revealing that Kurtz wants to take the managerial position and the manager s

4 belief of the harmful job that Kurtz had done. The manager admits that Kurtz traveled 300 miles for the delivery of ivory and returned to the inner station, telling the manager of the incompetent men. The manager also talks of his troubles with the Russian trader, as he receives a large amount of ivory, and is given the advice to kill the Russian by his uncle. On his expedition up the river, Marlow travels with the manager, the pilgrims, and native cannibals, whom he finds more restrained and productive than the Europeans. Marlow discovers firewood fifty miles from Kurtz s Inner station adorned with a sign in illegible handwriting differing from Kurtz s, which says, Wood for you. Hurry up. Approach cautiously. Inside, Marlow retrieves a book with notes that he believes to be code. In the foggy morning, a loud cry is heard. Native men arrive from the fog and attack the ship, killing the helmsman in front of Marlow, who scares the attackers away with the whistle of the ship. Marlow then encounters the Russian trader who admits that he had left the wood and notebook and later tells Marlow of the effect of Kurtz as he believes his mind has been enlarged. In the inner station, Marlow discovers that Kurtz is treated as a god and has dried severed heads on posts. As Kurtz is brought to the steamer, a native woman stares at him with outstretched arms from the shore. Marlow then learns that Kurtz had planned the attack at the river to discourage the company from retrieving him in order to continue his work. After the Russian trader leaves, Marlow discovers Kurtz crawling back to the native camp but convinces him to return to the ship. As they head out on the river, Kurtz gives Marlow his papers to preserve his work from the manager. Delayed by the breakdown of the ship, Kurtz dies with the remaining words of The horror! The horror. Before reaching Europe, Marlow falls ill. He later visits Kurtz s fiancée and lies that Kurtz s last words were her name. Brief Description of Characters: 1. Charlie Marlow Marlow is the leader of the journey to retrieve Kurtz from the enigmatic Inner Station on the Congo River. He initially dreams of embarking on a purposeful adventure for the benefit of a bigger machine, such as the Company. Marlow is a man who finds his values within those who strive for their own unique cause, rather than those who worship material and lack direction. He appears to possess more common sense than the pilgrims despite the fact that they are educated Europeans. He appeals to productivity, which deeply contrasts with the futility of the empty, entitled Europeans. Unlike the other men driven by ivory and power, he acknowledges the absurdity of the

5 entire Belgian trade against the secretive backdrop of the forest, as [he] felt often [the forest s] mysterious stillness watching [him] at [his] monkey tricks, just as it watches [the listener s] performing on [their] respective tight ropes for half a crown a tumble (95). He expresses his mocking disdain for the fact that his European listeners have no higher motive to exude evil other than for wealth. 2. Mr. Kurtz Kurtz is the epitome of an enigma, as he lures Marlow s whole attention with just his name and his ambiguous purpose in the Inner Station. Kurtz is not one who can be described as a man who is consistent with his ways, for [one] can t judge Mr. Kurtz as [one] would an ordinary man he wanted to shoot [the Russian], too, one day but [the Russian] [doesn t] judge him (125). He is a natural leader, which is made known by his hold over the natives despite the threat of their savageness towards foreign invaders. At the very end of his life, Kurtz discourses the corrosive nature of the Congo upon his morals. This purposeful enlightenment deems him a remarkable man because [h]e had something to say and [h]e said it (145). Though he is later perceived to be irrelevant to the Company, he is at the apex of Marlow s values. 3. The chief accountant The Company s chief accountant is described to be a miracle, for Marlow respected his collars, his vast cuffs, his brushed hair (73). He is perceived to be a white savior among the hopeless wreckage that is the Outer Station. Marlow inwardly esteems the chief accountant s orderly physical appearance that contrasts with the useless desolation. The pearly diction illuminated by the chief accountant s high starched collar, white cuffs light alpaca jacket, snowy trousers contributes to his holy image shining against the agony of the slowly decaying slaves (73). He embodies the flawless representation of the ivory trade that the Company wants to project as propaganda to Europe. 4. The general manager The general manager oversees the activities taking place in the Central Station. He is driven by his desire to be chief of the ivory trade, a position already held by Kurtz. Though he initially pretends to favor Kurtz, his darkest desires come to light when he murmurs in his sleep, Live rightly, die, die... in regards to the ailing Kurtz (143). He prides himself on being immune to the tropical diseases of the Congo that continue to wipe out other potential managers. Though it is not a qualification that highlights his skills as a manager, he uses his immunity to elevate his status. He barely has any substance to his personality, other than his malicious lust for power.

6 5. The Russian trader The Russian trader is a young man who radiates an existence that is improbable, inexplicable, and altogether bewildering (123). His boyish personality and his charmed outlook, mostly regarding his respect for Kurtz, contrast with the slim chance of his survival out in the obscurity that is the Congo. Though the jungle is known to degrade the Europeans, it has miraculously left the Russian untouched. He resonates with Marlow due to their mutual awe for Kurtz and interest for Towson s book. He is the only individual in the journey who sparks Marlow s dormant intellect with the discovery of the coded novel. The Russian prevents Marlow from losing faith in Kurtz s brutalized character, which ultimately helps Marlow keep his purpose. 6. The Intended and the Mistress Kurtz s mistress is a bold woman who does not fear the white men, as evidenced when she walked with measured steps, draped in striped and fringed cloths, treading the earth proudly (77). When she finds trivial fault with the Russian, she tells Kurtz frankly, unafraid of his powerful charisma. Her lavish jewelry indicates that Kurtz tries to make her a Congolese counterpart to a European mistress, since he believes women are objects to be treasured as trophies, not as equal partners in a relationship. The Intended, on the other hand, is a naïve, sheltered woman whose forehead, smooth and white, remained illumined by the inextinguishable light of belief and love (94). Her strongest traits are her suffering for and loyalty to Kurtz, blatantly passive traits in comparison to the boldness of the Congolese mistress. Marlow senses her weakness and shields her from the truth about Kurtz s last words, indicating that he believes women to be too weak to handle reality. Through these women, Conrad expresses the view that women are subordinate to men in that they are garish ornaments for the male sex and lack men s emotional strength. These attitudes are particularly fitting for Heart of Darkness because the novella is concerned with what happens to white men in environments without restraint, and a misogynistic attitude toward women implies that men have no reason to be restrained in the domestic sphere. A misogynistic attitude allows Conrad to explore men s relationships with women, thus expounding upon his ideas about the nature of men s behavior when unrestrained. 7. The pilgrims The pilgrims are the white men in Marlow s crew. They are called pilgrims due to their obsessive, religious devotion to ivory and other material. They have no higher motive to join Marlow s adventure than to gain capital. Though they are assumed to be civilized because of their European upbringing, they resort to violence far quicker than the cannibals. When the steamer is set to leave the Inner Station with Kurtz onboard, the

7 pilgrims on deck [get] out their rifles with an air of anticipating a jolly lark (141). The immediate gathering of natives does not threaten the pilgrims, for they are set on whipping out their rifles and leaving behind a massacre for their own entertainment. Despite their valued European education, they do not employ logical planning in retaliation to defend the steamer. 8. The cannibals Despite their apparent savagery as native cannibals, Marlow appreciates their will to labor without complaining about their lack of nutrition. They still belonged to the beginnings of time, allowing for Marlow to only favor them to a certain extent (104). Though they are not as fruitless as the pilgrims, they are perceived as inferior beings. They remarkably do not give in to the temptations of human flesh surrounding them. They perhaps have more restraint than the pilgrims, who automatically indulge in their destructive temptations. Symbols: 1. Fog The fog represents the madness of the jungle. In the fog, the white men become frightened by the mournful calls of the natives and become immobilized with fear. This heightened sensitivity due to the loss of vision reflects the heightened sensitivity due to the loss of rationality. Their literal inability to see through the fog represents their figurative inability to see reality through madness. When the fog sets in, the white men abandon the restraint of European society and fire blindly into the jungle, completing the symbolism: they become mad with the fear that comes with temporary blindness. 2. The Congo The Congo represents Marlow s journey through moral darkness. It takes him considerable effort to maneuver the steamer through the treacherous waters as they move toward the center of the Congo. Since the jungle represents the abandonment of humanity, Marlow s literal navigating thus represents his figurative navigating through moral collapse; he prevents the steamer from crashing into the shores of the jungles, just as he prevents himself from crashing into moral depravity. Also, when Marlow looks at the Congo on a map, he mentions that it looks like a snake, alluding to Satan. This allusion further supports the idea that the Congo is a symbol of evil and human darkness. 3. The oil painting Kurtz s oil painting, which depicts a blindfolded woman carrying a torch, represents the epitome of the white man s burden rampant in Africa. The painting expresses Kurtz s

8 disillusioned view of entitled Europeans invading foreign land to steal resources and to civilize the natives with their advanced culture. The white men, though carrying the light of seemingly goodwill that is thought to benefit the natives, are guided by the delusion of glory through imperialism. This ultimately hinders them from making any tangible progress, since they all undermine each other for individual honor. Motifs: 1. Work Moreover I respected the fellow in the great demoralization of the land he kept up his appearance (24). He was an improved specimen; he could fire up a vertical boiler (49). I had [no] time to peer into our creepy thoughts (50). Marlow admires people who do meaningful work and strives to find it himself. Work in the Congo keeps people from becoming savages: the accountant maintains a European, sedentary lifestyle, the native works a complicated machine from the Western world, and Marlow himself is able to navigate safely through the river. This humanizing aspect of work is consistent with Marlow s belief that one can find his identity in work. 2. Disease Because triumphant health in the general rout of constitutions is a kind of power in itself (29). The wilderness had taken him, loved him, embraced him, got into his veins, consumed his flesh, and sealed his soul (62 63). I had some difficulty in restraining myself from laughing in their faces so full of stupid importance. I daresay I was not very well at that time (89). Disease represents succumbing to the jungle s temptation. The Manager s ability to stay healthy reflects his narrow mindedness because Marlow mentions that one has to be a fool to not realize that he is being assaulted by darkness; Kurtz s sickness represents his yielding to perverse pleasures, which are stirred by the evil of the Congo; Marlow s irrational temptation to laugh reflects the madness he accumulates in the Congo, especially since gratuitous laughing is typically associated with madmen. 3. Rivets Rivets. To get on with the work to stop the hole. Rivets I wanted. There were cases of them down at the coast there wasn t one rivet to be found where it was wanted (38). I lived in an infernal mess of rust, filings, nuts, bolts, spanners, hammers, ratchet drills things I abominate, because I don t get on with them (87). Rivets hold together the pretenses, ideas, and beliefs of the characters. For Marlow, the rivets allow him to rebuild the steamer and thus distract himself from the temptation of the wilderness; on the way home, Marlow is disgusted by the machinery because it represents the many contradictory rivets that hold together different narratives and belief systems in the

9 company, namely the noble façade the company maintains at home and its actual actions in the Congo. 4. Futility Futility is ubiquitous throughout Marlow s journey, which is the most baffling preventive measure from progress that passes over the heads of almost every European. It forces the journey to be longer and more threatening to Marlow and his crew than it should be. However, no one is working to reverse its effects besides Marlow, resulting in more uselessness. The doctor, usually a skilled practitioner, produced a thing like calipers and got the dimensions back and front and every way, taking notes carefully (64). Though the task has no meaning because it not will inform Marlow of any precautions for the journey, the doctor still wastes time by carefully studying his measurements. Even Europe s elite conforms to the continuous promotion of insignificant practices with the deluded sense that progress is being made. Along the journey, Marlow came upon a man of war anchored off the coast (67). It serves no purpose because [t]here wasn t even a shed there, and she was shelling the bush (67). The old ship is pointlessly blasting the shore despite the absence of threat. It seems to be accustomed to perpetually firing off from wartime. Marlow also stumbles upon a lot of imported drainage pipes for the settlement of the Outer Station that had been tumbled broken (71). The destroyed machinery creates the imagery of a wasteland in which Marlow has to find his sense of life. The futility connects to men undermining each other and preventing one another from advancing society in a manner in which everyone possesses common sense and reason. Instead, people are left to continue with basic doctoring, the ship is left in the war mentality for no reason, and the first trading post is abandoned as a decaying heap that ceases hope. 5. Jungle The overgrowth of the jungle reflects the primitiveness of the Congo, causing anyone left inside to revert back to man s barbaric tendencies. Marlow explains that going up that river was like traveling back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings (94). The rule of the natural world far surpasses the rule of man. It is pitiless to the loss of human sentiment because it is so hopeless and so dark, so impenetrable to human thought, so pitiless to human weakness (125). The sensitivity of civilized men wanes quickly, for the corruption of the jungle outweighs all traces of humanity. After a while, [t]he earth seemed unearthly to Marlow (97). [They] are accustomed to look upon the shackled form of a conquered monster, the rest of civilization, but there there you could look at a thing monstrous and free (97 98). The jungle, an untamed beast, is free to wreck any remaining humanity left without the resistance of an entire civilized society holding it down.

10 Humans surrender to the entirely overbearing entity that is the jungle due to its power to be merciless. This automatically brings out man s innate callousness, for every other emotion is drained by the darkness of the jungle. 6. Savages The constant mention of Savages is ironic given the situation. While the natives are the ones considered to be savages due to their outdated technology and considerably primitive ways, It seems the Europeans are the ones who show the most savagery. The Europeans have destroyed the land, worked Natives to death and put strains on these humans that no other human could go through. They allow them to work until their limbs cannot take it and then replace them with other humans. By constantly calling them savages, Marlow is commenting on the twisted nature of their morality and what they define as cruel, unusual, and savage. 7. Women The Intended represents the concept of women devoting their lives to men despite their counterparts lack of reciprocating such actions. She finds the substance of her identity in Kurtz s love for her, for [she] want[s] [she] want[s] something something to to live with when she demands to know if his last words were her name (154). Marlow falsely reassures her that his last words were indeed her name in order to protect her from knowing the strikingly profound truth that would ultimately pain her. He condescendingly believes that women dwell in a simpler world due to their inability to grasp any real knowledge. In this time, men are to help [women] to stay in that beautiful world of their own (115). In contrast, Kurtz s native mistress is an independent individual who seems to possess power over the others due to her elaborate style of dress that includes the value of several elephant tusks upon her (132). She does not wallow in sobs when Kurtz leaves the natives, contrasting with the Intended s lengthy mourning. However, she is only labeled as a mistress. She is technically only the diversion from his abandoned fiancée. The abuse and neglect of nameless female characters appeal to the theme of sexism abundant throughout this era. Archetypes: 1. The Journey Marlow s voyage down the Congo is the archetypal journey in that he seeks some form of enlightenment. As they navigate treacherous waters, Marlow pushes himself to continue because he yearns to meet the almost supernatural charisma of Kurtz and to understand how anyone can survive with the natives for so long. While the other men seek ivory, Marlow seeks knowledge and adventure. Also, as he moves deeper into the

11 Congo, Marlow gains more insight into the darkness of human nature, knowledge which further enlightens him. 2. The adventurer Marlow is the archetypal adventurer who follows his dream of conquering uncharted lands and chasing down a mysterious character all at once. Unlike the rest of his crew, he is directed by common sense that keeps him level headed while submerged in the heat of dire moments. He cherishes the value of a larger purpose, whether it is his work or the retrieval of a man from the depths of the jungle. His moral integrity survives after the journey and translates into his loyalty to the rightful upholding of Kurtz s legacy. Allusions: 1. The Fates The women in the company s waiting room are allusions to the Fates. They knit black wool, the same way the Fates knit humans lives. As young men enter, the women glance with all knowing wisdom because the company does, in part, control their lives. By sending men to the Congo, the company kills their humanity and innocence, the same way the Fates literally kill men. Also, the fact that there are only two women, instead of three Fates, suggests that there is something deviant about the lives of the company workers; the incompleteness of the Fates reflects an incompleteness in the lives of the young men. Themes: 1. Humans become savages when restraints are removed. The captain that Marlow replaces is the first European mentioned who succumbs to madness. The company tells Marlow that the former captain, Fresleven, was the calmest, quietest man who ever lived, but he is killed in a scuffle with the natives over some hens. Despite his civil disposition in European society, he resorts to violence over a trivial concern, indicating that even the epitome of tranquility can become savage when left unrestrained. Also, his crew s conduct after his death reflects this change; after he dies and the natives flee, the crew abandons him like frightened animals instead of retrieving his body, as societal norms dictate. When left in an area beyond the law, the crew succumbs to its primal fears instead of reason. Kurtz also gives in to the madness of the jungle. As his fiancée and followers testify, he travels to the Inner Station with noble plans of bettering the lives of the natives. However, by the time Marlow reaches the Station, Kurtz has become obsessed with satisfying his perverse lusts. In the civilized world of Europe, Kurtz is able to plan ahead

12 and seek philosophical purpose in the company s practical endeavors, but he loses that ability to think deeply in the Congo. In the jungle, he mounts heads on stakes as an animal marks its territory, indicating that even a man as sophisticated as Kurtz can become savage in the right environment. Marlow feels the faint pulling of the jungle s savagery when he travels on the Congo. One day he hears the hooting of the natives on the shore, and he admits that he feels a remote kinship; the only thing keeping him from dancing on the shore is his work. Thus, Marlow s restraints stand between him and savagery. His busywork on the boat restrains him in a world of rational civility, and that restrain prevents him from succumbing to irrationality. The remote kinship he feels reflects the temptation of a consciousness without restraint, given the proximity of the jungle. Marlow s strange feelings stem from his position between the rational world of human work and the irrational world of the savage wilderness. 2. Work defines humanity. Marlow s purposeful work prevents him from becoming subhuman, as he views the natives and some of the company s pilgrims. As he works on fixing the steamer at the station, he notices that the other men wander about purposelessly as though they were bewitched by ivory with no will of their own. Thus, Marlow s distinguishes himself from the other men by his work ethic. The company s men allow their rapacity to control them, but Marlow keeps hold of his humanity because he is controlled by purpose in work, not by blind greed. The native on the boiler also distinguishes himself from his peers on the shore. Marlow mentions that the native is an improved specimen because he has been taught to feed the fire as a white man might do. This work forces the native to stay focused on the pressure gauges instead of stamping around on the shore, indicating that what separates the native on the boat and the natives on the shore is work; the native on the boat has a concrete purpose in his work, so he cannot succumb to his primal, dark instincts, as his peers on the shore have. He acts civilly because his work at the boiler keeps him distracted from savagery, indicating that his work makes him human. The chief accountant at the outer station also separates himself from the aimless worshippers of ivory because of his purposeful bookkeeping. Marlow is appalled by the inefficiency of the station when he first arrives because the white men blast into the cliff face without making an impression and the natives languish in the grove of death. Their animal like behavior stems from the fact that they have no meaningful work to define

13 their humanity; the white men are consumed by their greed for ivory, and the natives are consumed by their pain. The chief accountant, on the other hand, maintains his humanity because he pursues meaningful work, as evidenced when he teaches a native to iron his shirts and logs the company s books tediously. These ends give him a European air even in the Congo, showing that work defines humanity. 3. Sexism against women is highlighted through the blatantly oppressive view of women existing in their own degraded world secondary to men. Marlow receives a position in the company after requesting his aunt to influence the Company with her status. Though she is the one to cater to him, he boasts that he directed a woman to work for his benefit. He completely disregards both her authority in the Company and as his elder. His lesser view of women inhibits his ability to revere his own relative. Marlow scoffs at the relationship between Kurtz and his Intended when she is vaguely brought up in speech. He asserts that she should be detached from Kurtz s legacy because her shrouded world is an insult to the lofty ideas shared about him. He condescendingly believes that women dwell in a simpler world due to their inability to grasp any real knowledge. When the Intended begs Marlow to enlighten her with Kurtz s last words, he lies to her by agreeing that he uttered her name. Although it seems as though Marlow is being sensitive to her mourning process, he deludes her because he thinks she cannot handle the raw honesty of his words. He is disrespecting her right to know valuable personal information about Kurtz. Memorable Quotes: You are of the new gang the gang of virtue (75). You know I hate, detest, and can t bear a lie, not because I am straighter than the rest of us, but simply because it appalls me (77). Anything anything can be done in this country (87). Exterminate all the brutes! (111). I looked around, and I don t know why, but I assure you that never, never before, did this land, this river, this jungle, the very arch of this blazing sky, appear to me so hopeless and so dark, so impenetrable to human thought, so pitiless to human weakness (120). The horror! The horror! (139).

14 Kurtz s last words refer to the horror he has inflicted with the massacre of the natives and the horror that he has become as he loses all morality and self to greed, indicating his realization of the consuming effect of his mission. The last words could also refer to his realization of his own death and his fear of departing from the abundance of material wealth he has collected, highlighting the hollowness of his transformed character. Kurt s words relate to Marlow s discussion about stepping to the edge as Kurtz goes beyond the edge of sanity during his time in the Congo by sacrificing his moral values and health for the quest of material wealth. Distinctive Characteristics of the Work: Novella, frame story Conrad s frame story contrasts two views of the Western world. The unnamed narrator on the Nellie opens the story describing the romantic quality of the Thames River, an observation that is consistent with his background as someone who has lived a sheltered life in Europe. However, Marlow interrupts the narrator s romantic speculating by saying that the Thames is one of the dark places of the Earth, an observation that is consistent with his background as someone who has witnessed the cruelty in the Congo. By the end of the story, the narrator notes that the river appears to lead into a heart of darkness, indicating that Marlow s experiences challenge his views about his romanticized Europe.