Examining The Heart Of Darkness English Literature Essay

The fresh Heart of Darkness written by the celebrated English author Joseph Conrad is considered to be one of the most important plants of the English literature. The novel is based on the author 's experiences which he got eight old ages before composing the book functioning as a captain of the Congo ship. Heart of Darkness is an escapade narrative which attracts readers ' attending by its complex secret plan and different characters. It 's a novel where the writer touches the jobs of political relations, moral values and societal order.

The readers can see the image of the geographic expedition of Africa by Europeans. Every individual in this universe has his bosom but non everybody 's bosom is `` bosom of darkness '' .

My end in this research work is non merely to analyse Joseph Conrad 's fresh Heart of Darkness but besides to pull the major decisions on this literary work. To accomplish this end, I decided to form the paper in the undermentioned manner: in the first subdivision of the research work I will discourse the major subjects which were revealed in the novel, in the 2nd subdivision I will do the characters analysis, in the 3rd subdivision I will touch upon the significance of symbolism in the literary work, in the forth subdivision I will mention to some literary critics in order to larn their sentiment refering the novel, in decision I will sum up the major points of the essay.

Get quality help now

Bella Hamilton

Verified writer

Proficient in: English Language

5 (234)

“ Very organized ,I enjoyed and Loved every bit of our professional interaction ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

The chief subjects represented by Joseph Conrad in the fresh Heart of Darkness

Joseph Conrad could non merely captivate readers by his thrilling plot line but besides he could demo the struggle between world and `` darkness '' . He describes how human behaviour can be shaped by world and opposes Kurts, a individual of wild character and powerful nature against Marlow, brave and unfastened hearted individual. `` Reality '' is used in the novel to stand for something `` which is civilized '' . It stands to ground that the thought of restraint is another subject in the novel. Joseph Conrad marks out the thought of what is existent against what is `` dark '' , what is civilized against what is barbarian. World has all the characteristics of civilised society. The man-eaters in the novel are involved into the atrocious struggle between world and darkness. Marlow can non understand how these `` large powerful work forces, with non much capacity to weigh the effects '' could keep their greatest desire to eat him: `` Restraint! What possible restraint? Was is superstitious notion, disgust, forbearance, fright or some sort of crude award? No fright can stand up to hunger, no forbearance can have on it out. '' ( Conrad 121 )

So, on the one manus Africans stand for darkness and but on the other manus he understands that `` true darkness '' did non be in Africa because it existed in Europe, and Europeans who took portion in colonial development were the representatives of `` darkness '' . Marlow was a informant of awful `` evil patterns '' of colonisers in Congo. It was moral darkness. Joseph Conrad wanted to demo how European encroachers dehumanized natives and wanted the lone thing - to acquire net income and wealth. The natives became the victims of Europeans ' darkness. ( Conrad 134 )

The chief characters in the fresh Heart of Darkness and their features

Kurtz is the major character in Africa. The readers wait for Kurtz 's reaching with great involvement. He is dictatorial and ruthless. Marlow is disappointed by him. Kurtz is described by the writer as an evil mastermind who has no civilization and ideological thoughts, who considers that aspiration and power are virtuousnesss of the human being. Marlow considers that they are wickednesss. He is the right individual. Kurtz lost himself holding the lone idea to gain more money. Marlow seeks Kurtz and realizes that everything is `` corroded and caustic '' . Marlow 's journey ends with the decease of Kurtz. Marlow tells lye to Kurtz miss when she asks about his last words. Marlow says that Kurtz told her name but in truth he spore about the significance of the life: `` The horror! The horror! '' . ( Conrad 145 )

Womans in the novel are represented as objects to be owned by work forces. They are the cogent evidence of the adult male 's success, place in the society and wealth. They are besides representatives of ideal version of the universe and as a so called nature of imperialism, for illustration, Marlow 's aunt and Kurtz 's miss.

Symbolism in the fresh Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Joseph Conrad symbolizes Africa as a dark continent non merely because most people in Africa were illiterate but because they were hapless and barbarian at the same clip. Their folks were ever in a war. Marlow is a traveller whose place is his ship. He talks about `` darkness '' as a symbol of fright. Darkness denotes evil and force in relation to the indigens. The interesting fact is when Marlow saw two adult females in the office of the Company he noted they were `` guarding the door '' of Darkness. In this instance Darkness denotes the fright of uncertainness because Marlow should populate in some unknown topographic points. Marlow calls the metropolis as the metropolis of dead. When he saw black indigens he thought: `` They were non enemies, thy were non felons, they were nil earthly now - nil but black shadows of disease and famishment. '' ( Conrad 109 )

It is interesting to observe that most images in the novel are put in forms of resistance and contrast, for illustration, light-dark, black-white, civilised -savaged. There besides some other symbols in the novel such as the Congo River which stands for the key to Africa for Europeans giving them the best chance to acquire to the centre of the continent.

Literary Critics about the Novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

It is known that a great trade of critics expressed their apprehension of the novel in their articles and books. I 'd wish to stand for merely some of them in my paper. Cinua Achebe wrote in her critical article that Conrad developed non merely the subject of human power, personal duty and societal justness, he besides represented an escapade narrative with enigma, flight, unexpected onslaughts, life and decease. Chinua Achebe 's attitude to the writer of the book concluded in the undermentioned words: `` Conrad is doubtless one of the greatest stylists of modern fiction and good narrative Teller into the deal '' . ( Achebe 252 )

Chinua Achebe besides thinks that Conrad and his literary work are `` bloody racialist '' . The racism is hidden in the book. Teodor josef konrad korzeniowski showed his ignorance to the African history and people mentioning to the them as to black barbarians, niggas, beasts. ( Achebe 260 )

Another critic Garret Stewart in the article Lying as Dying in the Heart of Darkness says that the secret plan of the book is `` in portion a political necropsy of imperialist myths. '' He states that the book is `` a bare exposure of the human self-importance, unshielded by civilisation and its ego contents, to a universe of savageness presumed to be far beneath it is '' . ( Stewart 319 )

Decisions

Heart of Darkness is a novel where the chief character Marlow takes a journey non to Africa but to his interior universe. He says that he did non cognize himself before this journey and he wants to happen himself in `` what no other adult male can cognize '' He says: `` The head of a adult male is capable of anything, because everything is in it, all the yesteryear every bit good as all the hereafter. '' ( Conrad 127 )

This literary work criticizes colonialism and violent relation to the black people of Africa. The writer could demo that the inkinesss are better than the Whites. Joseph Conrad could demo non merely human beastliness and greed for money but besides political state of affairs at that period.