Heart of Darkness Flashcards
by Joseph Conrad (34 cards)
How does this quotation contribute to characterization in Heart of Darkness?
“Yes; I looked at them as you would on any human being, with a curiosity of their impulses, motives, capacities, weaknesses, when brought to the test of an inexorable physical necessity. Restraint! What possible restraint? Was it superstition, disgust, patience, fear—or some kind of primitive honour? No fear can stand up to hunger” (Conrad, 68).
The Europeans justified colonization by stating that they were bringing civilization and enlightenment to the African people. However, the European’s villainous behaviors disclaim their Social-Darwinian worldview in the quotation. Juxtaposed to the idea that the Congolese people are barbaric and savage, the Europeans cage them and neglect to feed them, posing that the pilgrims are the uncivilized ones. Furthermore, to accentuate the difference between the Congolese people and European pilgrim’s nature, Conrad notes how much prowess and restraint the Africans have, compared to the Europeans. They can retrain themselves, while the Europeans are gluttonous and insatiable.
Symbolism: Map
Marlow compares a map that he viewed as a child, white and incomplete, with the world map in the present, filled with detailed explanations and boundaries. The quotation stresses the theme of expansionism and exploration of the age. The map is an image that illustrates how the understanding of the vast, expansive African continent unfolded over his lifetime.
Symbolism darkness in Heart of Darkness?
In Heart of Darkness, “darkness” symbolizes numerous things. It symbolizes the Europeans limited understanding of Africa, the danger of traveling along the Congo River, and the separation of the pilgrims from society. Furthermore, it symbolizes the more subtle temptations they face as they travel along the river. In this quotation, Marlow realizes how “the heart of darkness” tempts him with grandeur and wealth, how corruption (symbolized by darkness) tries to engulf him.
Setting (Heart of Darkness): Belguim
Belgium symbolizes civilized society within the pilgrims’ minds. Belgium represents “Europe” within the book’s context; however, in the real Congolese history, the Congo belonged to King Leopold II of Belgium, whose atrocities are rightfully compared to those of Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, and Adolf Hitler. The European colonizers justify their actions by declaring that the native African people are uncivilized and savage. Marlow points out the irony in their presupposed motivations by saying that his return to England after spending six years in the East was “invading your homes, just as though I had got a heavenly mission to civilize you” (Conrad, 09). Therefore, Belgium is a symbol of how the pilgrims want to turn Africa into European society.
Kurtz and other colonists go to African from Belgium to find upward mobility because “impatience of comparative poverty … drove him out there” (Conrad, 127). Hence, though they idolize the image of Europe as a beacon for development, they are still oppressed in the European hierarchical system and see the Scramble for Africa as an opportunity to tyrannize and subjugate others.
Setting (Heart of Darkness): Congo
The Congo serves as an opportunity for lower-class citizens, such as Kurtz, the Swiss, and Marlow, to overcome their oppressive Monarchical or Parliamentary social structures to find wealth and prosperity outside of Europe’s border. The pilgrims go to the Congo “To make money, of course. What do you think?” (Conrad, 31) in the form of ivory. However, to obtain glory and fortune, they have to depart with civilization (Belgium) and become barbaric and savage. In Europe, Kurtz is a destitute pauper, which is why he leaves for the Congo. When he arrives in the “heart of darkness,” he becomes the oppressor - and even a god - to the native Africans. The difference between his social standing in Africa and Europe makes the notion of returning horrifying to him. Marlow sees this fear when he learns that Kurtz ordered the Congolese to ambush the steamboat because returning to the motherland will reduce him to a tramp anew.
Setting (Heart of Darkness): Streamer
The steamer serves as a mechanism between civilization and the darkness of the African interior, and it symbolizes the place in-between civility and barbarism. On the steamboat, the pilgrims have African captives, whom they sparsely feed and keep in chains. Furthermore, the pilgrims are somewhere between decent European folk and deprived overlords; they still oppress their African captives but act civil towards their white counterparts.
Kurtz’s death on the steamer symbolizes that he cannot assimilate back into European society, so he loses fortitude as he progresses further away from the outpost. However, when he transgresses away from the Africans, he becomes aware of all his horrendous actions and how he “stepped over the edge” (Conrad, 118) into the darkness. On the steamer, Kurtz reflects on his experiences and is reduced to a mortal man again.
The Stranger: Kurtz vs. pilgrims
Marlow says the reason he believes Kurtz was a remarkable man is that “He had something to say. He said it” (Conrad, 118). Similar to the other imperialists, Kurtz is motivated by the prospects of notoriety, fortune, and upwards social mobility. However, he is aware of how acutely horrendous his actions are, compared to the other Europeans, who hide their evil motivators behind claims of civilizing the Africans.
The Stranger: Civilization vs. savagery
The imperialist viewpoint is that the Europeans are “civilized,” and the African people are “savages” and not fully evolved humans. However, throughout the novel, Marlow sees how hypocritical their sense of superiority is in reality. Compared to the Congolese natives, the Europeans are barbaric and villainous but hind behind their false claims of “civility.” Marlow even points out how the Africans possess characteristics that make them civilized juxtaposed to the pilgrims, such as restraint, while the Europeans are bestial and physically inferior. He describes the Europeans as living “with one’s finger everlasting on one’s pulse” (Conrad, 68) to convey how frightened and apprehensive they are at heart.
The Stranger: Christians vs. pagans
Another worthy cause that justifies the Scramble for Africa is spreading the Christian faith and ridding the Africans of their pagan, heathen ways. A Heart of Darkness does not fully explore the Congolese people’s religious customs, but the Europeans’ hypocritical religious beliefs are self-evident. Christians are supposed to “love their neighbor,” but the pilgrims are brutally terrorizing the natives in the name of grace and religion, rather than treating them as the Bible prescribes.
Charactrs of The Stranger?
- ### Marlow
The protagonist of Heart of Darkness. Marlow is philosophical, independent-minded, and generally skeptical of those around him. He is also a master storyteller, eloquent and able to draw his listeners into his tale. Although Marlow shares many of his fellow Europeans’ prejudices, he has seen enough of the world and has encountered enough debased white men to make him skeptical of imperialism.
Read an in-depth analysis of Marlow.
- ### Kurtz
The chief of the Inner Station and the object of Marlow’s quest. Kurtz is a man of many talents—we learn, among other things, that he is a gifted musician and a fine painter—the chief of which are his charisma and his ability to lead men. Kurtz is a man who understands the power of words, and his writings are marked by an eloquence that obscures their horrifying message. Although he remains an enigma even to Marlow, Kurtz clearly exerts a powerful influence on the people in his life. His downfall seems to be a result of his willingness to ignore the hypocritical rules that govern European colonial conduct: Kurtz has “kicked himself loose of the earth” by fraternizing excessively with the natives and not keeping up appearances; in so doing, he has become wildly successful but has also incurred the wrath of his fellow white men.
Read an in-depth analysis of Kurtz.
Read an in-depth analysis of Kurtz.
- ### General manager
The chief agent of the Company in its African territory, who runs the Central Station. He owes his success to a hardy constitution that allows him to outlive all his competitors. He is average in appearance and unremarkable in abilities, but he possesses a strange capacity to produce uneasiness in those around him, keeping everyone sufficiently unsettled for him to exert his control over them.
- ### Brickmaker
The brickmaker, whom Marlow also meets at the Central Station, is a favorite of the manager and seems to be a kind of corporate spy. He never actually produces any bricks, as he is supposedly waiting for some essential element that is never delivered. He is petty and conniving and assumes that other people are too.
- ### Chief accountant
An efficient worker with an incredible habit of dressing up in spotless whites and keeping himself absolutely tidy despite the squalor and heat of the Outer Station, where he lives and works. He is one of the few colonials who seems to have accomplished anything: he has trained a native woman to care for his wardrobe.
- ### Pilgrims
The bumbling, greedy agents of the Central Station. They carry long wooden staves with them everywhere, reminding Marlow of traditional religious travelers. They all want to be appointed to a station so that they can trade for ivory and earn a commission, but none of them actually takes any effective steps toward achieving this goal. They are obsessed with keeping up a veneer of civilization and proper conduct, and are motivated entirely by self-interest. They hate the natives and treat them like animals, although in their greed and ridiculousness they appear less than human themselves.
- ### Cannibals
Natives hired as the crew of the steamer, a surprisingly reasonable and well-tempered bunch. Marlow respects their restraint and their calm acceptance of adversity. The leader of the group, in particular, seems to be intelligent and capable of ironic reflection upon his situation.
- ### Russian trader
A Russian sailor who has gone into the African interior as the trading representative of a Dutch company. He is boyish in appearance and temperament, and seems to exist wholly on the glamour of youth and the audacity of adventurousness. His brightly patched clothes remind Marlow of a harlequin. He is a devoted disciple of Kurtz’s.
- ### Helmsman
A young man from the coast trained by Marlow’s predecessor to pilot the steamer. He is a serviceable pilot, although Marlow never comes to view him as much more than a mechanical part of the boat. He is killed when the steamer is attacked by natives hiding on the riverbanks.
- ### Kurtz’s African mistress
A fiercely beautiful woman loaded with jewelry who appears on the shore when Marlow’s steamer arrives at and leaves the Inner Station. She seems to exert an undue influence over both Kurtz and the natives around the station, and the Russian trader points her out as someone to fear. Like Kurtz, she is an enigma: she never speaks to Marlow, and he never learns anything more about her.
- ### Kurtz’s Intended
Kurtz’s naïve and long-suffering fiancée, whom Marlow goes to visit after Kurtz’s death. Her unshakable certainty about Kurtz’s love for her reinforces Marlow’s belief that women live in a dream world, well insulated from reality.
Read an in-depth analysis of Kurtz’s Intended.
- ### Aunt
Marlow’s doting relative, who secures him a position with the Company. She believes firmly in imperialism as a charitable activity that brings civilization and religion to suffering, simple savages. She, too, is an example for Marlow of the naïveté and illusions of women.
- ### The men aboard the Nellie
Marlow’s friends, who are with him aboard a ship on the Thames at the story’s opening. They are the audience for the central story of Heart of Darkness, which Marlow narrates. All have been sailors at one time or another, but all now have important jobs ashore and have settled into middle-class, middle-aged lives. They represent the kind of man Marlow would have likely become had he not gone to Africa: well meaning and moral but ignorant as to a large part of the world beyond England. The narrator in particular seems to be shaken by Marlow’s story. He repeatedly comments on its obscurity and Marlow’s own mysterious nature.
- ### Fresleven
Marlow’s predecessor as captain of the steamer. Fresleven, by all accounts a good-tempered, nonviolent man, was killed in a dispute over some hens, apparently after striking a village chief.
Character: Marlow
Marlow is the main character and protagonist of the novel. His character narrates the majority of the story. His experiences in the Congo define his character within the novel. He is logical and cautious because of what he has experienced in his lifetime and he embodies a heroic, reasonable quality. He has a profound interest in sailing and works diligently to do what
he loves. In comparison to the other characters of the novel, Marlow seems the sanest and most reasonable, as he does not work to obtain money, he works to obtain satisfaction. Marlow’s approach to life is rewarded by the author, as he does not fall victim to the sickness of the island, while others die off at quick rates. His character emphasizes the qualities of the other characters, as Marlow remains mild and versatile throughout the plot of the novel. Marlow’s experience in the Congo allows him to be a character of reason and this is demonstrated as he is telling about his past.
Types of Conflict:
Man vs. Man:
Throughout the plot of the novel Marlow catches glimpse of the different perceptions of life that each character has. Certain characters, such as the Manager and his uncle, embody the greediness and selfishness of humanity. Other characters, such as Marlow and the maintenance man that he meets, demonstrate the reason that is not common in humanity. The Manager of the company makes evident his conflict with Mr. Kurtz. The Manager wants to be better than all of the others, thus he holds a grudge upon the one man that is more successful. The man vs. man conflict is more of a man vs. inhumanity.
Man vs. Nature:
The difficult environment presented in the novella is an apparent conflict for the protagonist as well as the other
characters. The natives of the Congo region struggle with the adaptation to the company’s people and the disease of the area. The company’s members also struggle with the disease that threatens their lives. Many characters, minor and major, experience the fight with the sickness. Mr. Kurtz and Marlow both obtain illness and Mr. Kurtz eventually dies. Marlow’s ablility to overcome the illness demonstrates his reason.
Theme: Illness
Mental and physical illness is a major aspect of the novel. The company’s members are vulnerable to the diseases and mental weakness that is presented to them by the land and by the other members. Before Marlow’s journey began, a doctor asked him about his family’s mental health history. This forewarns Marlow of what he will become susceptible to while he is there. He
learns that a man committed suicide while serving the company. Physical sickness is looming throughout the entire land. Natives, without the proper care, fall victim to the illness more so than the white people. Many white characters become sick and die because of the diseases.
Theme: Uncertainty
Many aspects of the novella present the characters and readers with wonder and uneasiness. Beginning with Marlow’s trip to the office of the company, he notices the depth and repetitiveness of the land. All the eye can see is dark green, tangled jungle and there is no distinction from point A to point B. Mr. Kurtz is a character that remains uncertain for much of
the novel. Why is he talked about so much? What does he do to make others despise him? How is he so successful? The “darkness” that looms in humanity allows for more ambiguity.
Theme: Power
There are many corruptions in the company caused by greed and power. The Manager’s jealousy towards Mr. Kurtz is apparent in many occasions and he uses his uncle’s expedition to lift him higher in an unjust manor. Mr. Kurtz and the ccountant view themselves as superior to the natives though they claim that they are here to improve the conditions for the natives.
The treatment and neglect of the natives by the company, however, disproves this claim. Even Marlow demonstrates his yearning for power near the end of the novella, as he pushes to develop trust between him and Mr. Kurtz while he is on his deathbed. If Mr. Kurtz entrusts in Marlow, Marlow may be able to obtain the power that Mr. Kurtz received after he dies.
Symbol: Darkness
The literal and metaphorical darkness in the novella represents the unknown, evil, corruption, and death. The literal darkness of the night and of the jungle brings about uncertainty and fear, while the metaphorical darkness of illness and the people presents the possibility of death.
Symbol: Ivory
Though ivory is white and could be considered pure, it demonstrates the greed within humanity. The members of the company must produce more ivory in order to make more money. The juxtaposition of the pure color and corrupt symbolism of ivory conveys that there is no person that is purely good, but rather those that can conceal the darkness and corruption better than others.
Symbol: Congo River
The Congo River symbolizes the path that is traveled
by all of the company, but particularly Marlow. Though it is evident that it is
the literal path of Marlow, along the way Marlow learns more about the darkness
of humanity. He witnesses greed from the Manager and his uncle. When he travels
further, he sees the appetite of Kurtz, and finally, at the end of his journey
down the river, Marlow recognizes his desires to hold the power and possessions
that Kurtz has.
Give a short overview of Heart of Darkness?
Aboard a British ship called the Nellie, three men listen to a dude named Marlow recount his journey into Africa as an agent for “the Company,” a Belgian ivory trading firm.
If you think “The Company” sounds super-sketchy, you’re right: from the get-go, Marlow feels a nameless sense of dread about working for “The Company.” (It doesn’t help that the last guy to have held Marlow’s position…was murdered.)
When Marlowe signs on to take this voyage, he sees a couple of old women knitting in the corner. They give him the heebie-jeebies. Then, when he gets to Africa, he meets a dude wearing starched, formal clothing despite the heat. He’s deeply weirded out by this fancy-pants guy and by the camp in general—and things haven’t even started to get nightmarish.
Marlow realizes that the Africans are kept as slaves, and many are dying from the brutality of the conditions. These Africans, he realizes, and “not inhuman.” (Don’t get excited; Marlow’s hardly progressive here.)
As the bureaucracy of The Company moves at a molasses-like pace, Marlowe becomes entangled in a power struggle within The Company—middle management is trying to climb the ranks, and being especially slimy about it. He also starts hearing tell of a mysterious figure named Kurtz, a mad agent who’s rumored to have become both a prisoner and revered as a god by the indigenous population living further down the Congo.
In fact, the more he hears about Kurtz, the more obsessed Marlow becomes. Who is this Kurtz? Why is he such a powerful figure? Why does everyone seem to either idolize him or loathe him?
Finally, after delays due to a broken-down (or possibly vandalized) steamship, Marlow is on his way to meet the enigmatic Kurtz. Aboard the steamship are cannibals who, thankfully, snack on some rancid hippo meat. The ship is forced to stop often: once to pick up wood (the pile of wood is accompanied with a note that says, essentially, “Proceed with caution”), once because of a mysterious fog bank, and once because of an attack—arrows strike the ship from the riverbank, and the helmsman is impaled with a spear.
When the riverboat arrives at Kurtz’s camp, Marlow sees that the decoration of choice is posts topped with the severed heads of locals. Oh, that’s not creepy at all.
Marlow’s met by a weird Russian dressed like a clown. This “harlequin” informs Marlow that Kurtz is a god. He has apparently expanded the harlequin’s worldview with his power and eloquence. Marlow, naturally, thinks that both this harlequin and Kurtz must be bonkers.
We finally meet Kurtz, who’s so ill he’s carried out on a stretcher. He looks, almost literally, like death. The natives in the camp want to attack the steamship, but Kurtz tells them to fall back. Although Kurtz tries to run away—or, rather, crawl away, because he’s too weak to run—he finally agrees to being brought back to the mouth of the Congo.
Kurtz’s health deteriorates: he goes blind, starts raving in a series of fever dreams, and gives Marlow a stack of papers and the instructions not to hand them over to “The Company.” When he finally dies, his (famous) last words are “The horror! The horror!” Shortly after this, Marlow becomes super sick, but he pulls through.
When he returns to Europe, Marlow is disillusioned with both “The Company” and Europe in general. He refuses to hand over Kurtz’s papers, possibly jeopardizing his career. He does, however, visit Kurtz’s Belgian fiancée, in order to give her a few of Kurtz’s letters. The fiancée is still mourning Kurtz, and asks anxiously about Kurtz’s last words. Marlow lies, telling her that Kurtz said her name.
Yeah, that’s a lot sweeter than muttering, “The horror! The horror!”
Theme: Man and the Natural World
Move over, Mother Nature: there’s a new wilderness in town. In Heart of Darkness, the natural world isn’t a place of comfort or pleasure or even mild neutrality: it’s dark, frightening, and it will basically eat your face off if you so much as look at it cross-eyed. But is civilization really that much better? Sure, you might get to sleep in a bed—but human nature is the same whether it’s shouting “brava” after an operatic aria or chanting along with war drums.
Questions About Man and the Natural World
- What does civilization seem to represent at the beginning of the novel? What does nature represent? Does this distinction hold true as the novel progresses?
- How does the concept of civilization become problematic as the novel progresses? How are the Company’s attempts to ‘civilize’ the Africans hypocritical?
- If nature is madness-inducing, what does this say about human nature, especially the native Africans?
- How do different aspects of nature, especially the river and the jungle, become characters in their own right? What is nature’s attitude towards man?
In Heart of Darkness, natural forces have a will of their own: they’re hostile to the white “pilgrims,” but accepting toward the black “savages.”
Conrad suggests that there’s no real difference between the natural world and human nature.
Theme: Race:
Conrad doesn’t exactly want to buy the world a Coke, but he does seem to have some unconventional ideas about race—at least, unconventional for the late nineteenth century. In Heart of Darkness, he seems to be suggesting that there really isn’t so much difference between black and white—except that this vision of racial harmony becomes more complicated when you consider that he seems to be suggesting that black people are just less evolved versions of white people. Maybe. We’re like 50% sure on that one. As with most issues in Heart of Darkness, the differences between black and white are so confusing as to be almost meaningless. And, in fact, maybe that’s just Conrad’s point.
Questions About Race
- How are the differences between white and black people depicted in Heart of Darkness? What kinds of activities does each group participate in?
- What does imagery of light and dark seem to have to do with race in Heart of Darkness? What does this say morally about each group of people?
- What kinds of white European expectations does Marlow bring into his journey up the Congo? How are they dispelled? Look specifically at the examples of the accountant, manager, brickmaker, and Kurtz. What is Marlow’s attitude towards the native Africans?
- How is Kurtz’s attitude towards the black Africans ambiguous? How might he be viewed as the ultimate symbol of imperialism and black subjugation? Alternatively, how might he be read as a symbol of liberation and freedom?
**Despite white Europe’s good intentions towards the Africans and their desire to “civilize” the black man, imperialism proves to be a brutal and callous victimization of the native Africans for the sole purpose of maximizing profits.
Despite Kurtz’s brutality, he treats the Africans more civilly and more as equals than the majority of the other white European characters (like the accountant, the manager, and even Marlow). This is why Marlow sees him as the lesser of two evils.**
Theme: Identity
By the end of his journey into the Congo, Marlow is so mixed up that he might as well be singing, “I Am the Walrus.” Although he starts off with a pretty clear sense of who he is (white, successful, explorer), the jungle and the wilderness pretty quickly get him all mixed up. Is black white? Is civilization actually wild? Is Kurtz really that different from Marlow? And who is the manager, anyway? And are we really all just hollow inside? Heart of Darkness isn’t about to say.
Questions About Identity
- How is Africa a place of emptiness from the white European perspective?
- How are even places of civilization—cities and trading stations—empty in terms of European amenities and values?
- What characters lack essential human characteristics? How do they show their fundamental emptiness? And are these characteristics actually essentially human?
- How are the white pilgrims deprived of their senses and reason as they descend deeper and deeper into the interior?
- What characteristics or understanding do both Marlow and Kurtz lack? How does this affect their interpretation of the events toward the end? It may be helpful to look at their comments about language here.
Theme: Women and Feminity
Sorry, ladies: there’s basically nothing for you here. Seriously. Conrad is all about the gentlemen. For Marlow—and presumably for Conrad, too, although we could argue about that—women exist in a totally separate world. Part of the reason the world in Heart of Darkness is so grim for the dudes is that they have to protect women’s idealism. Of course, you could also suggest that the Intended stands in for all of Western civilization, which would mean that Marlow’s lie about Kurtz lets us all go on pretending that foreign workers aren’t suffering to produce our smartphones and $5 t-shirts, men and women alike.
Questions About Women and Femininity
- What is Marlow’s opinion of women’s position in society? Does Conrad seem to agree with this? Which characters demonstrate Marlow’s claim and which dispute it?
- What characteristics does Marlow associate with women?
- Compare and contrast the wild warrior woman to the Intended. Both are potential love interests for Kurtz. If the Intended is an embodiment of purity and idealism, what does the warrior woman represent? How do these characteristics reflect on Kurtz?
- Although men make up the majority of the authority figures in the book, powerful women are not utterly absent. Name at least two powerful women and state how they exercise their power.
Despite Marlow’s disparaging comments about women, a number of women display or exercise a substantial amount of power in Heart of Darkness.
All the women within Heart of Darkness reflect the values of their society and are viewed as nothing more than trophies for men. Even the women who seem at first to have power are in fact powerless upon closer inspection.
Theme: Madness
There’s method in this madness: Kurtz has gone from noble conqueror to deranged slaver because his power and greed have been totally unchecked. Ergo, if you want to stay sane, don’t swoop into an African village and start passing yourself off as a god. Point taken. But that’s where things start to get hazy. Is madness is just another name for imperialism—the idea that white men can swoop into Africa and claim it for themselves? Or is madness what happens when civilization tries to conquer the wilderness?
Questions About Madness:
- How does Conrad define madness? How is Kurtz the ultimate embodiment of madness?
- What symptoms accompany the onset of madness in Heart of Darkness? What human faculties begin to break down? Does Marlow become a little crazy himself?
- Is madness caused by the trip up the Congo River and into the interior? Or is it something that is born into man, regardless of his environment? In other words, is madness caused by inherent nature or environment and experience?
- Can the harlequin be seen as a bridge between madness and sanity? How do his words make sense yet seem like folly to Marlow? How does Marlow relate to the harlequin? What does this say about Marlow’s state of sanity?
