The human soul exposed in the heart of darknessIn Joseph Conrad's novel, The Heart of Darkness, Charlie Marlow tells the story of his journey into the black continent, Africa. Through his experiences, he learns a lot about himself and the nature of humanity. He discovers that all humans have within them the capacity to do good or evil. External circumstances greatly influence the path a human will take. Marlow travels not only through the darkness of Africa, but also through the darkness of the human soul. England sent missionaries to help civilize the natives of Africa. For Marlow, this is the goal of colonization. During his trip, he comes to see how Africans are exploited for their work and the earth's natural resources. "They were dying slowly... nothing but the dark shadows of disease and starvation... brought from every corner of the coast in all the legality of time contracts, lost in an unfriendly environment, fed on a unfamiliar food, they fell ill, became ineffective, and were then allowed to crawl away and rest (p.83). What was initially a good cause was distorted by greed for ivory and other riches. The natives were weak and had no competition for the civilized and economically motivated English. had no resistance. "They were conquerors, and for that you only want brute force - there is nothing to boast about when you have it, since your strength is only an accident. of the weakness of others. They grabbed what they could get for the sake of what was to be had. » (p.70). Instead of being colonizers, circumstances allowed the British to become conquerors. Just as England's motivations have changed, so too have those of many individuals entering the Dark Continent. Kurtz begins by being the best agent that the Ivory Company sends to Africa. He comes there with good intentions, not only to do his job for the company, but also to help the natives. As Kurtz himself says: “Each station must be like a beacon on the road to better things, a center of commerce of course, but also of humanization, improvement, education.” (p.104). Obsessed with meeting Kurtz, Marlow finally realizes that the man he is searching for has turned evil and is exploiting the very people he originally wanted to help..