Heart Of Darkness (1902)
(Joseph Conrad)
Joseph Conrad?s Heart of Darkness details the collapse of morality in the absence of civilization. Through an unnamed narrator, Charlie Marlow recounts his journey through the Congo to locate Mr. Kurtz, an agent in charge of an important trading station on the Interior. While waiting at the Central Station for repairs to be made to his steamship, Marlow begins to hear many rumors about Kurtz, which gradually begin to intrigue him. He sees a painting done by Kurtz which he describes as ?sinister,? yet hears him praised as an exceptional and intelligent man, and revered as an upcoming leader. He becomes even more intrigued as he overhears a conversation between the station manager and his uncle, expressing their concern that Kurtz and his high moral ideals are going to change the way business is conducted, therefore interfering with their plans to make a profit by exploiting Africa and its natives. After three months of repairs, Marlow is finally able to lead an expedition to the Inner Station. Along the way, the ship with heavy fog and mysterious screams from the jungle, and ultimately survives an attack by the natives, whom Marlow scares off by blowing the steamship?s whistle. He later finds out, through a Russian trader, that Kurtz himself has ordered the attack on the ship, hoping to scare them away. The Russian also informs Marlow that Kurtz can no longer be judged by the morals and values of European civilization, as Kurtz has advanced beyond them, and is even regarded as a deity to the natives. However, the Russian admits that Kurtz is ill, and in need of assistance. Upon finding Kurtz?s station, Marlow finds it surrounded by severed heads attached to stakes, and learns from the Russian how the natives do not walk, but crawl into Kurtz?s presence. Marlow becomes frustrated, and begins to see that Kurtz is completely out of control, yet still praises him as remarkable. Kurtz, who is indeed seriously ill, is brought to the steamer by the crew, which begins its journey back to the Central Station and, more importantly, closer to civilization. Despite his illness, however, Kurtz resists leaving the Interior, and attempts to escape from Marlow by leaving the ship late at night and crawling on all fours through the jungle. Marlow pursues him and, in a moment of weakness, is able to threaten Kurtz into going back to the steamship. Kurtz speaks of having big plans, which he regrets that he was never able to complete. Marlow assures him that Europe already considers him to be highly successful, and will welcome his return. Once Marlow is left alone with Kurtz aboard the steamer, his expectations are disappointed. Kurtz turns out to be egotistical and immature, spouting off grandiose plans and ideas which never came to fruition. The steamer breaks down, which delays the journey back, and Kurtz dies before reaching the Central Station. He entrusts to Marlow his personal letters and writings, and utters some of the most famous last words in literary history. Marlow himself falls seriously ill during this time, and barely survives. He leaves Africa after his recovery. Conrad?s novella raises questions about morality and civil order, and ultimately comes to the conclusion that, while European society prevents men from going mad or running wild, it is also European society that created Kurtz and other men like him. In the absence of the controlling ideologies of civilized society, men will often become corrupt, or even be driven to acts of madness and moral depravity. Conrad?s ideas about civilization and savagery are closely tied in with the exterior/interior dichotomy seen throughout the book. The further man travels into the interior, the less civilized man becomes, as is evident in Kurtz?s degeneration. The juxtaposition between light and dark, and white man and black man also plays into this motif, as the Africans are generally seen as savages who lack rule, order,and civilization, while the white Europeans are a colonial force intent upon ruling and exploiting Africa and its people. However, precisely because civilization acts as both the cause and the control of moral ineptitude, these exterior/interior, white/black, civilized/savage binaries inevitably collapse, as it is only the white men who suffer any sort of moral degeneration. An example of this is in Kurtz?s pamphlet regarding the civilization of African savages, a work Marlow describes as eloquent and noble, which unravels in one short post-script calling for the extermination of the African natives. The document reveals both Kurtz?s degeneration into madness and his moral duplicity. This novella, which was generally well received despite its strong social commentary, blasted imperial attitudes and attempted to prove that white Europeans are ultimately the true savages. It set out to collapse imperialist binaries, such as civilization/savagery, through which European defined itself and attempted to set it self above native peoples. On a psychological level, Conrad?s work strongly implies that there is a heart of darkness, or immoral core, inherent in all men.
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