The Heart of Darkness in Heart Of Darkness Essay

What is the Heart of Darkness?

Written in the late 1898-1899, Joseph Conrad wrote a historical autobiography, although not much of it his personal experience it was a collaboration of all the people in the journey through the Congo River. At the start of the novella, the characters are on the Thames River outside London, where Marlow is telling the story that makes up Heart of Darkness. Heart of Darkness deals with the main character, Marlow, a sailor, and his journey up the Congo River to meet Mr. Kurtz, this man has been missing and they need his ivory since he is the best at collecting that there is. Marlow takes a job as a riverboat captain . As he travels to Africa and then up the Congo, Marlow encounters widespread inefficiency and brutality in the Companys stations. The native inhabitants of the region have been forced into the Companys service, and they suffer terribly from overwork and ill treatment at the hands of the Companys agents. This in some way becoming slavery with the native people. The Company was cruel and inhuman to the people and what they had to encounter, but with the jungle that surrounds the white mans settlements, the people seem to be surrounded with nowhere to go, making them appear to be tiny islands amidst a vast darkness. Towards the end of the novel, Marlow and his crew find Mr. Kurtz, only to realize he is suffering from malaria. Mr. Kurtz is dieing but as he rides along the river Mr. Kurtz entrusts Marlow with a packet of personal documents, including an eloquent pamphlet on civilizing the savages which ends with a scrawled message that says, Exterminate all the brutes! . As the boat begins to break down, and Marlow also becomes sick, Mr. Kurtz last words are The horror, The horror. And darkness ends on the novella. So, what does it mean The heart of Darkness? The jungle? The gloomy way to treat the natives? Or could it be Marlow himself and the darkness within him?

Marlow's journey into his ultimate evil, into his inner self, can be a positive experience. By contrasting Marlow with Kurtz, who represents the absolute evil, we can see the two products of an inner evil which has emerged. Marlow, who defeats his evil, and gains self-knowledge, and Kurtz, who is defeated by his darkness and falls prey to its wrath. Kurtz who dies in the end falls victim to his darkness. In the heart of darkness it can be referred to as your own heart or in the case of Marlow his own heart. He must have a personal battle with several obstacles. One with himself, the company, the natives, and also with Mr. Kurtz.

At the beginning of the novel Marlow begins his descent into the Congo, which presents a dark image of death and suffering. The capacity for evil in the jungle is endless. This is illustrated through the natives which who go mad and begin killing. Marlow struggles but by realizing his potential for good, manages to contain his evil. Unfortunately the result was not the same for many others: "I don't know how this would have struck the others but to me the evil was unspeakable, but not undefeatable" (Conrad 85). After this we can prove that the darkness that Marlow is feeling his is trying to overcome, he wants nothing to do with the killing. In a way his heart of trying to become pure and not taking the title along with him as the heart of darkness. The Congo river and his journey through the river lack what is needed to have a common sense of mind, and a calm why of going about things. Without this the Companys, the Congo, and Marlow himself become a victim of the inner darkness. Without being civil one loses all sense of reality and what is right and wrong. Without this the Darkness with over power him and the lack of order will begin. And lack of order is not what is need in order for Marlow to bring back Mr. Kurtz and the ivory. Marlow will eventually finds his inner darkness come forth and essentially control all his thoughts and actions. Which will help him not become the Heart of Darkness.

In conclusion, the heart of darkness in the Heart of Darkness deals with Marlow and how his inner darkness can control him and the civility. Through examining the many different images which allow one's inner evil to surface, the lack of civility and restraints for good. Marlow proved that he can still be good and that he can overcome his inner evil and not go into the darkness. The heart of darkness can be overcome, Marlow proved this again, but unlike Mr. Kurtz, he did not and death was the result. So, with Marlows acceptance of responsibility for Kurtzs legacy, Marlows encounters with Company officials and Kurtzs family and friends, Marlows visit to Kurtzs Intended as all is well. The Heart of Darkness is not overcoming to Marlow, but it is Marlows inner darkness.