Joseph Conrad led an adventurous life and spent a lot of his time at sea, most of his novels and short stories are loosely based on some of his experiences. His inspiration for Heart of Darkness came from his travels to the African Congo, where he witnessed the horrors of slavery and the grim realities of Imperialism. These experiences reflect throughout the book and give it a haunting realism. Now to the synopsis: Heart of Darkness is the tale of a man named Marlow, a seaman and wanderer. It is told through his eyes and from his POV using the 1 st person narrative except for the beginning where an u named narrator and couple of men (Marlow included) gather in a boat on the river Thames and Marlow proceeds to to tell the story of his travels in the Congo and experiences in what he describes as the dark heart of the world – the African Congo (at that time it was still pretty much a black mark on the map with a few british colonies tucked in and out).
He begins his journey on a French Man of War hitching a ride towards the congo where he has been hired to captain an old steam boat docked at mouth of the Congo river just near the central Ivory station run by the British. When he arrives at the station he is disgusted by the attitudes of his fellow Brits as they seem too preoccupied with Ivory and the money that can make from it, while exploiting the natives for the said purposes. He soon finds himself Isolated from ‘the pilgrims’ and focuses on fixing the steamboat which has been neglected since the previous skipper was killed. Marlow hears mention of a man named Kurtz, an enigmatic Ivory poacher who runs a station in the furthermost outskirts of the Congo. Soon word comes in that Kurtz is ill and may die if help is not sent and its our man Marlow who is paced with the task. So Marlow and crew (a hand full of pilgrims and some native cannibals on a strict diet of hippo meat) are heading up river in search of Kurtz all the while Marlow is becoming more disconnected and removed from his fellow pilgrims.
The Essay on Hollow Men Heart Of Darkness
The second part of the poem has changed two a first person speaker, describing his in counters with his experiences to get him to where he is now. The speakers observations have made him a hollow, unemotional man. "There the eyes are/ Sunlight ona broken column" (23-24). In heart of darkness Kurtz has somewhat of this same thing in front of his hut he has" the heads of rebels" on stakes (222). ...
Marlow sees something in the natives that he doesnt see in the pilgrims – humanity. They may be cannibals but at least they have restraint, Marlow thinks, actually Marlow thinks a lot, he starts to wonder about Kurtz. Finally they reach Kurtz’s station and to their horror severed heads are on display out front, Kurtz is being worshipped by the local natives who look upon him as some sort of god. Marlow confronts Kurtz and struggles to understand what has happened. The narrative unfolds with Marlow reflections of Kurtz and their final moments together, Marlow realizes the man who was once Kurtz has become a hollow sham, a mind that was perfectly clear and intelligent but a soul that was mad. Kurtz leaves his legacy with Marlow, a memory that will scare him forever.
Now to the review: I am quite partial to this book and the author, Conrad had a style of writing most experimental for his time and Heart of Darkness is no exception. It is a journey into consciousness and the soul of man but this is only my. Heart of Darkness must be on a much greater spectrum, it’s ambiguity only adds to the mystery of the plot and keeps the reader hanging on words. Without a doubt this book is a classic and it is still very relative now even a century on.
If you are looking to broaden your horizons and you want to read something deep and thought provoking, this classic novel is for you. Just make sure to get that dictionary out – you ” re going to need it. Also see Apocalypse Now, the motion picture starring Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando, which was based on Heart of Darkness. Title: Heart of Darkness Author: Joseph Conrad Review by: CL 2 Kain Lagos.
