Heart of Darkness - the Horror of Man

The Horror of Man

Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” is a tale of two men who work for an ivory company in the heart of Africa. The two men, Marlow and Kurtz, come to see the horror that hides behind the trappings of civilization and every day life, the true darkness within all mankind. Characterization, symbolism, and tone are important in Joseph Conrad’s construction of the main idea behind the “Heart of Darkness”. The author uses those things and more to build up the main Idea behind the story and make it evident to the reader.

Both Marlow and Kurtz can be seen as the main character in the story and for the story to be effective as a whole both have to exist. The author develops the character of these two men simultaneously even though Marlow does not come in contact with Kurtz until towards the very end of the story.

The author builds up the characteristics of Marlow and Kurtz throughout the story so the reader knows that these men are like most people in their thinking, the reader then can see that Marlow and Kurtz are normal respectable people. The story is seen through Marlow, but the focus throughought the story is upon Kurtz almost from the moment Marlow reaches the first station in Africa. Kurtz character really begins to take shape about the time Marlow reaches the central station, he becomes known as an “exceptional man, of the greatest importance”. The reader sees the ambition that drives the man through the words of others. Even after Kurtz’s death, when Marlow tells Kurtz’s fiancй of his death he lies to her about him because the truth “would have been to dark- to dark altogether”(224). The reader can see that Marlow still thought highly of the man and his character though, Marlow just knew what lurked beneath the surface of this man. The reader see’s that see the Marlow himself as being a respected man “the worst that could be said of him was that he did not represent his class…Marlow was not the typical seaman”(165). Wherever Marlow went he heard of Kurtz and Marlow was excited to meet the man, it almost became his goal. This can be seen when Marlow has gotten the steamboat close to the camp that Kurtz was at and the natives attacked, the manager comments “And by the way, I suppose Mr. Kurtz is dead”(199), Marlow hears this and “for the moment that was the dominant thought. There was a sense of extreme disappointment; as though I found out I had been striving after something altogether without substance. I couldn’t have been more disgusted if I had traveled all this way for the sole purpose of talking with Kurtz” (199). The reader can see that what drove Marlow through the black of Africa was not merely his adventurous spirit or wealth but also the chance at meeting the legend he had heard so much about. Through all of these and other examples the reader can see that Marlow and Kurtz are truly just men like anyone else but in the dark of Africa Kurtz’s inner darkness is exposed and Marlow sees the man for who he really is as well as the company and men in general. Through the development of Marlow and Kurtz, the reader can see they are not just two psychopaths but there is an inner darkness that resides within us all.

The reader seer’s this darkness through many things in the story. The darkness is apparent in the symbolism that Conrad uses throughout the story to build upon the reader’s already defined perception of the men of the company and the Congo of Africa. One of the first examples of symbolism in Conrad’s writing is when Marlow’s aunt notifies him that he has gotten the position as captain of the riverboat for the company so he then travels to the city that “always makes me think of a whited sepulcher”(168). White has always represented good as something dark or black has always represented something evil, the “whited sepulcher” is something made to be beautiful on the outside but inside it is evil. Another symbol is seen when Marlow came across a painting in the central station, he “noticed a small sketch in oils, on a panel, representing a women draped and blindfolded carrying a lighted torch…the effect of the torchlight on the face was sinister”(181). One can see from this that the painting represents the black people being pushed