Heart Of Darkness (3810 words) Essay Example For Students

Heart Of Darkness (3810 words) Essay Heart of DarknessHeart of DarknessConrads novel, Heart of Darkness, relieson the historical period of imperialism in order to describe its protagonist,Charlie Marlow, and his struggle. Marlows catharsis in the novel, as hegoes to the Congo, rests on how he visualizes the effects of imperialism. This paper will analyze Marlows change, as caused by his exposure tothe imperialistic nature of the historical period in which he lived. Marlow is asked by the company, the organizationfor whom he works, to travel to the Congo river and report back to themabout Mr. Kurtz, a top notch officer of theirs. When he sets sail, he doesntknow what to expect. When his journey is completed, this little tripwill have changed Marlow forever!Heart of Darkness is a story of one mansjourney through the African Congo and the enlightenment of his soul. It begins withCharlie Marlow, along with a few of his comrades, cruisingaboard the Nellie, a traditional sailboat. On the boat, Marlow begins totell of his experiences in the Congo. Conrad uses Marlow to reveal allthe personal thoughts and emotions that he wants to portray while Marlowgoes on this voyage of a lifetime. Marlow begins his voyage as an ordinaryEnglish sailor who is traveling to the African Congo on a business trip. He is an Englishmen through and through. Hes never been exposed to anyalternative form of culture, similar to the one he will encounter in Africa,and he has no idea about the drastically different culture that existsout there. Throughout the book, Conrad, via Marlowsobservations, reveals to the reader the naive mentality shared by everyEuropean. Marlow as well, shares this naivete in the beginning ofhis voyage. However, after his first few moments in the Congo, he realizesthe ignorance he and all his comrades possess. We first recognize the generalnaivete of the Europeans when Marlows aunt is seeing him for thelast time before he embarks on his journey. Marlows aunt is under theassumption that the voyage is a mission to wean those ignorant millionsfrom their horrid ways(18-19). In reality, however, the Europeans arethere in the name of imperialism and their sole objective is to earn asubstantial profit by collecting all the ivory in Africa. Another manifestation of the Europeansobliviousness towards reality is seen when Marlow is recounting his adventureaboard the Nellie. He addresses his comrades who are on board saying:When you have to attend to things of thatsort, to the mere incidents of the surface, the reality-the reality I tellyoufades. The inner truth is hidden luckily, luckily. But I felt itall the same; I felt often its mysterious stillness watching over me atmy monkey tricks, just as it watches you fellows performing on your respectivetight ropes forwhat is it? half a crown a tumble(56).What Marlow is saying is that while heis in the Congo, although he has to concentrate on the petty little everydaythings, such as overseeing the repair of his boat, he is still aware ofwhat is going on around him and of the horrible reality in which he isin the midst of. On the other hand, his friends on the boat simply dontknow of these realities. It is their ignorance, as well as their innocencewhich provokes them to say Try to be civil, Marlow(57). Not only are they oblivious to the realitywhich Marlow is exposed to, but their naivete is so great, theycant even comprehend a place where this so called reality would evenbe a bad dream! Hence, their response is clearly rebuking the words ofa savage for having said something so ridiculous and uncivilized. Quite surprisingly, this mentality doesnot pertain exclusively to the Englishmen in Europe. At one point duringMarlows voyage down the Congo, his boat hits an enormous patch of fog. At that very instant, a very loud cry is let out(66). After Marlow looksaround and makes sure everything is all right, he observes the contrastsof the whites and the blacks expressions. It was very curious to see the contrastof expression of the white men and of the black fellows of our crew, whowere as much strangers to this part of the river as we, though their homeswere only eight hundred miles away. The whites, of course greatly discomposed,had besides a curious look of being painfully shocked by such an outrageousrow. The others had an alert, naturally interested expression; but theirfaces were essentially quiet. . . (67). Once again, we see the simple-mindednessof the Europeans, even if they were exposed to reality. Their mentalityis engraved in their minds and is so impliable, that even the environmentof the Congo cant sway their belief that people simply dont do the horriblethings Marlow recounts. The whites are dumbfounded and can not comprehendhow people, in this case the natives, would simply attack these innocentpeople. That would just be wrong! The blacks, however, who are cognizantof the reality in which they live, are essentially quiet. They feel rightat home, and are not phased by the shriek. Similarly, the difference of mentalitiesis shown when Marlow speaks of the portion of his crew who are cannibals. While in themidst of his journey, Marlow, quite casually, converses withthese cannibals; even about their animalistic ways! As Jacques Berthoudsaid so accurately in his Joseph Conrad, what would be nspeakable horrorin Londonbecomes, on the Congo river, an unremarkable topic of conversation(47). These unspeakable horrors are hardly unspeakable in the Congo becausethey are normal occurrences there. On the Nellie, Marlow explains to his comrades,the basic difference between living in Europe, and being in the Congo. He states:You cant understand. How could you? Withsolid pavement under your feet, surrounded by kind neighbors ready to cheeryouor to fall you, stepping delicately between the butcher and the policeman,in the holy terror of scandal and gallows and lunatic asylumshow canyou imagine what particular region of the first ages a mans untrammeledfeet may take him into by the way of solitudeutter solitude withouta policemanby the way of silence utter silence, where no warning voiceof a kind neighbor can be heard whispering of public opinion(82)?In Europe, there are kind neighbors whoare there to make sure that everything is all right. The European liveshis life stepping delicately between the butcher and the policeman. Everywherehe looks, there is always someone there who can catch him if he is falling. On the other hand, once a man enters the Congo, he is all alone. No policeman,no warning voice of a kind neighborno one!It is now when Marlow enters the Congoand begins his voyage, that he realizes the environment he comes from isnot reality, and the only way he is going to discover reality is to keepgoing up the river There is one specific theme in Heart ofDarkness in which the reader can follow Marlows evolution from the everydayEuropean to a man who realizes his own naivete and finally to hisuncovering of his own reality. This evolution comes about as a direct resultof Marlows observations of how things are named. This sounds very unusual,that a man would find his true reality by observing the names of certainthings. However, it is precisely these observations which change Marlowforever. Marlow first realizes the Europeans flaw of not being able togive something a name of significance, in the beginning of his voyage,when he has not quite reached the Congo, but he is extremely close. Once, I remember, we came upon a man ofwar anchored off the coast. There wasnt even a shed there, and she wasshelling the bush. It appears the French had one of their wars going onthere-abouts. Her ensign dropped like a limp rag; the muzzles of the longsix inch guns stuck out all over the low hull; the greasy, slimy swellswung her up lazily and let her down, swaying her thin masts. In the emptyimmensity of earth, sky, and water, there she was, incomprehensible, firinginto a continent. Pop, would go one of the six inch guns; a small flamewould dart and vanish, a little white smoke would disappear, a tiny projectilewould give a feeble screechand nothing happened. Nothing could happen. The Career that interest me is being a doctor. EssayNo; you want a deliberate belief. An appeal to me in this fiendish rowisthere? Very well; I hear; I admit, but have a voice too, and for good orevil mine is the voice that can not be silenced (60).This is the lesson which Marlow has learned. Objective standards alone will not lead one to recognize the reality insomething. One can not only depend on anthers principles to find his realityin something because they have not had to bear the pain and responsibilityof creating it. Principles are usually acquisitions, which like other thingswe acquire rather than generate, like clothes are easily shaken off. Thepower of speech which will sustain a man is the power to create or affirmfor ones self a deliberate, or a chosen belief (Bruce Johnson. 79). This judgment must be from ones own internalstrengths. That is why Marlow says, for good or evil, mine is the speechthat can not be silenced. As Kurtz has taught him with his own judgment,a judgment of truth overpowers morality. To find ones own reality, onemust not rely solely on other peoples morality, others peoples principlesand he must assess his own life. What Kurtz did is that he showed thatregardless of whether the truth is good or bad, one must face up to hisreality. He must face up to his own actions even when the conclusion isthe horror, and by doing so, he will find his true reality. Marlow understands that being true to yourselfis not following anthers moral code, but being able to judge ones selfhonestly and uncover their own reality. It is because of this understandingthat Marlow claims that Kurtzs last words is a moral victory paid forby innumerable defeats(120). Despite Kurtzs immoral ways, he is victoriousbecause he didnt run away from the truth; and that is his moral victory. He is true to himself.!On his voyage, Marlow notices at one ofthe stations, a picture that Kurtz had drawn when he was there. It is asketch in oils on a panel representing a woman draped and blindfolded,carrying a lighted torch. The background was sombrealmost black(40). At the time, Marlow didnt really know what it meant. However, this isa precise representation of Kurtz himself. Firstly, the background wassombrealmost black. This is a manifestation of Kurtz because his lifeis full of darkness. He kills, he steals, and he is worshipped as a god. Kurtz cannot be without blackness and survive. In addition, the picturedisplays the lesson itself. It is a picture of the lady of justice holdinga torch. This is Kurtzs role. Unlike Europe, which imposes their principlesupon others, he is merely there to illuminate(79). Kurtz is there toexpand the peoples minds, to introduce them to a broad new spectrum ofreality. However, he does not impose his own reality upon them. Hence,he is blindfolded in the picture. To him, they make a subjective decisionand they find their own truth, regardless of what that truth may be. Thatis his lesson. Eventually Marlow realizes that Kurtzspicture was in essence, a self portrait. The same thing which Kurtz conveyedwith the horror, he conveyed with this picture. Marlows realizationis evident with this remark. I dont like workno man doesbut I likewhats in the workthe chance to find yourself. Your own realityforyourself, not for others(47). Marlow learns the essence of naming andunderstands what it means to be yourself. However, Marlow has encounteredtwo extremes. The European mentality, which is completely oblivious toreality, and Kurtz, a man who has found his reality, but it is one of horrorand no restraint from any wrongdoing. He is now returning to his home todeal with his former world, however, he now possesses his new understanding. Marlow cannot return to his previous European ways simply because hehas been enlightened and lost his naivete. However, why cant he adapt Kurtzs waysand live the other extreme? At one point, Marlow had peeped over the edge(119). Why didnt he jump over? Marlow is repelled from joining Kurtz for severalreasons. Firstly, Kurtz had kicked himself loose from the earthhe hadkicked the earth to pieces. He was alone, and I before him didnot know whether I stood on the ground or floated in the air(112). Kurtzhad denied any sort of moral convictions in order to be worshipped as agod. Because of this unmonitered power, Kurtz lost all sense of restraintand became the savage that he was. Marlow, however, has not lost his senseof morality. What Marlow rejected in Kurtz was the complete absence inKurtz of any innate or transcendental sanctions (Johnson. 99). It is because of Marlows rejection ofboth the Europeans, who Marlow claims are full of stupid importance,and of Kurtzsinability to establish his own moral code, that Marlow choosesan alternative reality(Berthoud. 60). The first time the reader witnessesMarlows choice and becomes a centrist, is when he first gets back to Europe. Marlow finds himself resenting the way the Europeans went about their life,hurrying through the streets to filch a little money from each other(120).Notonly did he find their lives meaningless, but he mocked them to himself. I had no particular desire to enlighten them, but I had some difficultyrestraining myself from laughing in their faces so full of stupid importance I tottered about the streetsgrinning bitterly at perfectly respectablepeople. I admit my behavior was inexcusable (120). Although Marlowlooked down upon these Europeans, he says something remarkable. He judgedhis own actions and found them inexcusable. This is his manifestationof breaking away from Kurtzs extreme. Unlike Kurtz who lacked all restraintand would never find looking down on people bad, Marlow realized that hecouldnt hold it against them simply because they didnt know better. Clearly,Marlow is edging toward a middle ground. Despite this act of judgment, the readerdoesnt know exactly where Marlow stands. However, Marlow does somethingthat is the quintessential act of affirmation that he has chose the middleof the two extremes. While aboard the Nellie, Marlow tells his comradesthat I hate, detest, and cant bear a liesimply because it appallsme. There is a taint of death, a flavor ofmortality in lies(44). Towards the end of the novel, Marlow is invitedby Kurtzs fiancee to go to her house to speak of her beloved Kurtz. Uponher asking Marlow what his last words were, Marlow responded The lastword he pronounced wasyour name(131). He lies to her. He does somethinghe utterly detests. This is the event that convinces the reader of Marlowsuptaking of a middle position. He does look inside himself and use hisown personal ability to judge this event. He does what Kurtz had told him. Despite his abhorrence of lies, he judges this situation and decides thatit was right to lie. However, he is different from Kurtz. Kurtz did judgeevery event independently, however, he does it solely based on his ownwhims. He could not incorporate any objective principles whatsoever inmaking his decision. Marlow does judge every event independently, however,he can not rely solely on his own creeds. Regardless of his decision, hewill always incorporate some objective principles into his judgment. Marlownow creates his alternative reality and achieves his truth. When Marlow was exposed to the imperialisticenvironment of the congo, it had a tremendous effect upon him. The protagonistof Conrads novel undergoes a drastic change in response to his environment,common only to that specific time period. Kurtz shows Marlow the flawsin the Europeans imperialistic ideals. Kurtz sees the meaninglessness ofEuropean standards of the time, and therefore changes his entire perceptionand behavior.