JOSEPH CONRAD

Heart Of Darkness

Joseph Conrad

Born in 1857 in PolandHarsh childhood:

age 3- dad imprisoned for revolutionary political affiliations

Age 8- mother dies of TB Age 12- father dies of TB

Raised by uncleBecame a seaman/joined a British ship;

captain of a Congo steamerVisited the Belgian Congo: inspiration for

H of Darkness; he suffered his own “darkness” after he returned home

Novel

Published in 1899“interior, suggestively analytic, and

highly psychological” (Norton Critical Edition)

Genre: frame narrative main story is composed as a “frame” for shorter

stories Story within a story Unnamed narrator establishes the position for

the main story

The Congo Free StateKing Leopold II’s

rule in 1885 Declared it his

personal property in 1892

Allowed Belgian’s to take ivory without trade with natives

Traders became like K.

Themes

Ignorance and apathy of Europeans to the situation in the Congo Ivory trade barbaric and no one took the time to

realize Questions morality of those who did know

The potential of “darkness” in humanity Kurtz falls to greed and incivility

British colonists’ and Belgian trader’s abuse of the natives

Characteristics of the worldCity versus jungle; English versus

natives; land versus waterReverse paradigm: traveling from

enlightened state to that of darkness of the human condition

Class difference between natives and other characters: clothing, mannerisms, language, expectations, education

Ivory trade prominent: nec. to “civilize” the natives

Bleak, dank, darkMarlow becomes aware

Main Char. Desire/ world affects?

Charles Marlow Desires to “see the world”- ironic discovery Intrigued by Kurtz; finds him mysterious and one

to be in awe over Develops a need to see him When M. meets K. he realizes K.’s barbarism +

loss of humanity Traveling downriver symbolic of birth, water =

symbol of baptism, BUT all in reverse: ironic (reverse paradigm)

“the horror” = truth behind human greed/ ability to treat other humans

Char. Succeed or Fail?M. succeeds in locating K. (literally) so

he “sees the world” BUT does not understand him

Intent was to discover why K. had such a reputation and following—this does not happen

“the horror” is that K. has created and also is the greed and savagery in the Congo BUT this is not what M. admits to K.’s wife= M. tells “white lie” (his heart of darkness?) If does not tell truth about K. demise to wife,

then the possibility of stopping it from happening again lessens