Greed: A Heart of Darkness

Greed: a Heart of Darkness

Every human’s white soul carries a dark stain; an original sin (as a Christian would say) that irks us toward sin. The stain of darkness alienates us from civilization. The stain is an innate quality endowed within, which forces a struggle to confine and eventually eliminate the dark stain. This stain is not divinely imprinted on our souls; rather it is a reflection of our values taught us by society and those who are an integral part in forming our character.

Marlow refers to this stain as the heart of darkness. He describes the heart of darkness that consumes the characters and himself. The stain that scorches the souls of these characters in Heart of Darkness is greed. Greed is the prime value that dictates of actions of the Lawyer, Krutz, and the Director. There life’s work is how can I make a profit no matter what the harm. They are committed to themselves and there own wealth before the health and humanity of the people they seek to profit from. Plainly, one’s heart of darkness occurs when one’s beneficent qualities become the silhouettes of one’s sin. As one’s sin grows larger the shadow of beneficence reaches further away, making them more difficult to regain.

In reflecting on my own heart of darkness I was struck by the realization that it may too be greed. As I have learned from that capitalist nation of American, one cannot be happy and poor at the same time. They are opposites: rich equals happiness. Nonetheless, I have also had the dictum “service for others” pounded in my head by the Jesuit community. I have learned through my Christian roots that happiness comes from within, not without. But, I am still haunted by the America idea that irks me to obtain riches to be happy.

I am most recently confronted by this heart of darkness when asked on college applications a major. Embedded in my mind is that happiness comes from money, so I must pick a major that will make me money. As greediness for money (leading to happiness) directs my choice of major I sacrifice what may be my true vocation.