Psychological Approach “heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad

Psychological Approach

"Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad

"Heart of Darkness" is derived from Joseph Conrad's experiences of his visit to the Congo during the imperialistic reign of King Leopold II of Belgium. It is a story about a man's journey into the center of Africa where he encounters the evils of imperialism and the darkness that strikes the hearts of people. It is a crucial work in the development of modem literature, in that it establishes the dominant theme of twentieth-century writing: fear and disillusion about the western man's place in the world and the values by which he lives. The fictitious character called Marlow, who narrates the story, is Conrad himself in disguise. Most of the experiences of Marlow, and most of Marlow's reactions to what he beheld in the Belgian Congo, were Conrad's own experiences, observations, and reactions. The narrator and central character, Marlow, travels up the Congo to meet the demonic trader, Kurtz.

"Heart of Darkness" is full of darkness, misery, and lots of despair from the beginning to the end. He uses all these tones till the book ends. The narrator tells of conditions that were extreme in this part of the world but left out all the details on purpose.

All the things that take place could have happened anywhere in the world, but Conrad picked a place that makes the reader feel how the climate was and feel how it impacted the people. Conrad's paints a vivid picture of life deep within the Congo. He

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gave a vivid picture of exactly how the way of life was here. These elements combined, signify the "darkness" as stated in the title. The title itself reflects the "heart of darkness" within men, who sometimes cruelly use others for their own benefit and profit, throwing

away life as if it were of no value. The title also refers to the Congo itself, which would probably be considered the "heart of darkness" in that part of the world, because it had places that nobody knew of and the unknown fears and mysteries which lurked within. Either way one views it, the "darkness" is clear to see, and can be called "evil" in some form or another.

Conrad creates a tension and mystery which causes speculation on what will happen next, and although nothing terrible occurs within the plot, each individual event simply adds to the loneliness and feeling of something bad is going to happen in the story. Deaths and other "dark" happenings are spoken of, but by today's standards, these are common occurrences; everyday norm of what we hear in the news.

The things like those described in "Heart of Darkness" were more unexpected, frightening, and depressing in a lot of ways. Conrad's technique in describing all this conveys the darkness and hopelessness of the entire situation, which, in turn, reflects the overall state of man and the world, both then and now.

During the time period that "Heart of Darkness" was written, it could very well have fallen into the "terror/horror" genre of writing styles; today, it would be more likely to be considered a "descriptive fiction".