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Unit 31: Joseph Conrad — Heart of Darkness

There is a dark sketch on his wall of a woman blindfolded and carrying a lighted torch. The Notes
agent says that Kurtz painted it. Upon Marlow’s inquiry about who this man is, he says that
he is a prodigy, an “emissary of pity and science.” They want Europe to entrust the guidance
of the cause to them. The agent talks precipitately, wanting Marlow to give Kurtz a favorable
report about his disposition because he believes Marlow has more influence in Europe than
he actually does.
The narrator breaks off for an instant and returns to his listeners on the ship, saying that they
should be able to see more in retrospect than he could in the moment. Back in the story, he
is bored by the droning of the agent. Marlow wants rivets to stop the hole and get on with
the work on his ship. He clambers aboard. The ship is the one thing that truly excites him. He
notes the foreman of the mechanics sitting onboard. They cavort and talk happily of rivets that
should arrive in three weeks. Instead of rivets, however, they receive an “invasion” of “sulky”
black men with their white expedition leader, who is the Manager’s uncle. Marlow meditates
for a bit on Kurtz, wondering if he will be promoted to General Manger and how he will set
about his work when there.

Analysis

A logical way to begin analyzing the tale is by applying the title to the novel. “Darkness” is
a problematic word with several meanings. It is initially mentioned in the context of maps,
where places of darkness have been colored in once they have been explored and settled by
colonists. The map is an important symbol. It is a guide, a record of exploration. The incomplete
map has a dual purpose in that maps unlock mysteries, on the one hand, by laying out the
geography of unknown lands for new visitors, and on the other hand, by creating new mystery
and inspiring new curiosity about the lands listed as unknown, in addition to new questions
about what is only partly known. The river is another important symbol, perhaps our first
symbol of the “heart,” which is itself a symbol of the human spirit. Always moving, not very
predictable, the gateway to a wider world, it is an excellent metaphor for Marlow’s trajectory.
Marlow says that as a child he had a “passion” for maps, for the “glories of exploration.”
Although this description seems positive, it also sounds ominous. Marlow’s tone is of one who
recalls childhood notions with bitterness and regret.
The cause of this regret is evident in the first description of Marlow. His sallow skin and
sunken cheeks do not portray him as healthy or happy. He has had the chance to explore, but
apparently the experience has ruined him. This is Conrad’s way of arranging the overall
structure of the novella. The audience understands that this is to be a recollection, a tale that
will account for Marlow’s presently shaky, impenetrable state. The author is also presupposing
knowledge of colonialism. The bitterness of Marlow’s recollection suggests Conrad’s strong
bias against colonialism, which he seems to be imparting to the reader by expressing Marlow’s
difficulties.
The imagery of light and dark clearly corresponds to the tension already evident between
civilization and savagery. The Thames River is called a “gateway to civilization” because it
leads to and from the civilized city of London. It is important to note that the city is always
described in stark contrast with its dark surroundings, which are so amorphous as to be either
water or land.

The vivid language of maps becomes more interesting when we consider that the word “darkness”
retains its traditional meaning of evil and dread. The fact that Marlow applies the concept of
darkness to conquered territories may indicate Conrad’s negative view of colonialism. We
read clearly that colonists are only exploiting the weakness of others. Their spreading over the

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