Heart of Darkness Essay
In Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, Marlow the narrator recalls a journey into Congo. There is he confronted by situations beyond society’s comprehension. He recounted that it was as if they travel back in time, beyond the boundaries of civilized behavior. Adding to that the wild surreal surroundings Marlow was in increased his suspicion of others. Showing when humans are stripped of their cultured boundaries they will make irrational decisions based on impulse and not their wits.
For instance when Marlow was heading towards the Inner Station their steamer was caught in a heavy fog. The fog is a kind of darkness that one would not give much notice to. It seems harmless, but it obscures and distorts the person’s view. Giving him just enough information of his surrounding so that he will barely survive. So when Marlow’s steamer was caught in the fog, he had no idea where he was going and no idea if danger lies ahead. Marlow made the choice to try to keep going through the fog hoping that it will thin because he wanted to keep going and find Kurtz. But the fog only got thicker causing him to anchor in the middle of the river.
The river that the steamer was on allows access to the center of Africa without actually having to step foot on land. It is like a wall between the white man’s world and the black man’s world. Giving the white man power to control the black people without really having to set foot on their land. Also the current upstream towards to center is difficult to conquer like going back before civilization. Once someone is civilized it is very hard to go back. But if the steamer is to go back downstream, back towards the ocean it is fairly easy, like going back towards civilization. Marlow struggles with the river as he goes upstream towards Kurtz, resembling to the way he struggles to understand the circumstances in which he put himself into. Marlow realizing that he is risking his life just to meet this one “famous” man in Africa, the man that has all the ivory. All those rumors build up gave him a need to know this particular man without a good reason doing so and risking his life.
During Marlow’s journey up into the Inner Station, he is confronted by different kind of situations. Sometimes he will make the correct choice and sometimes he would not and risk death. The farther Marlow got the more reckless and foolish his choices were. During the trip to the Inner Station, the steamer went into a fog, instead of anchoring somewhere safe, Marlow kept going because he was impatient to meet Kurtz, therefore later was forced to anchor in the middle of a river surrounded by a deep condense forest. They then were attacked by natives in the area meaning that Marlow risked everyone’s life by making that choice. He abandoned his intuition, dropped his common sense, and stuck to that one thing in his mind to meet the “great” Kurtz. Therefore Marlow proved that the farther one goes without a civilized boundary the more illogical they become.
my first essay without copy and paste.
junior year in high school... AP Literature.
