-
Essay / The characters, setting and symbols at the heart of...
Beyond the shield of civilization and in the depths of a primeval and untamed frontier lies the true face of the human soul. It is in the midst of this savagery and relentless danger that humanity is confronted with the brooding nature of its inner self. Joseph Conrad's novel Heart of Darkness tells the story of a man who embarks on a journey to the ends of the world. Here he encounters the bitter but illuminating forces that ultimately shape his outlook on life and his own individuality. Conrad's depiction of the characters, setting, and symbols allows the reader to reflect on the true nature of man. The two main characters in Heart of Darkness, Marlow and Kurtz, are used to show the true nature of man, that is, the capacity for good and evil within humanity. The central character is a thirty-two-year-old sailor, Charlie Marlow. Marlow is the main narrator of the novel, so his thoughts, opinions, experiences, and revelations shape the entire themes of the novel and the value system put forward. Marlow illustrates how the forces of light and darkness serve to weave the human soul; so, essentially, how good and evil reflect in an individual. This is particularly important in regards to the construction of Marlow, who is essentially a biased narrator and a product of his European upbringing. One example is his failure to care for the dying natives at the "grove of death", offering a cookie to a native as a seemingly kind gesture. Yet this is only because he has not been faced with situations like this before, where his own values and the premises behind colonialism, exploitation, are revealed. The patriarchal views of women he exhibits also describe Marlow's background and middle of paper ... no man can live on the island without becoming a brutal savage. Inside his heart lies the raw evil of an untamed lifestyle" (Heart of Darkness: A Systematic Assessment). Works Cited "The Congo" Created December 7, 1995. Web. February 23, 2007. Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. New York: Penguin, 1999. Print. "The Fear" Created December 7, 1995. Web February 9, 2007. "Heart of Darkness: A Systematic Assessment of the Inherent Darkness in the Souls of Men" The Perfect Native" Created December 7, 1995. Web. February 12, 2007. "The Setting" Created December 7, 1995. Web February 12, 2007. Works viewed Goonetilleke, DCRA "Heart of Darkness: Overview of Gale's Literary Resources, 1994. Web. Thomas. “Heart of Darkness: Overview. » Gale Documentary Resources, 1991. Web, February 12. 2007.