Category: Heart of Darkness

On the surface, two novels such as Heart of Darkness and She probably seem drastically different. They are both tales of adventure, however, their plots are extremely contrasting. While Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness creates a somewhat bleak and ominous setting in order to tell a tale of the human psyche in the face of…

“Heart of Darkness” is about a man’s journey into a darkness both physical and metaphorical: he travels to both the inner depths of the Belgian Congo and to the deepest regions of the human heart. In the novel, the shadowy world of Africa has been turned by the Company, an organization concerned with exporting ivory…

In Joseph Conrad’s classic novella, Heart of Darkness, the identity of Kurtz is unknown for most of the story. For the majority of the story, Marlow’s image of Kurtz is based solely on hearsay from other Europeans. He is a seemingly extraordinary man who wants to civilize the natives of the area. Once he is…

Throughout history, women have often been relegated to trivial and demeaning roles. From one standpoint, women in Heart of Darkness appear to have much more power than traditional roles have allowed. For example, Marlow’s aunt has significant influence within the Company since she is able to get Marlow a job, and the native mistress has…

In Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih, the story of the mysterious, prodigious, and devilish Mustafa Sa’eed is told through the eyes of an unnamed narrator. Although Mustafa is not directly present for most of the book, his actions, and the narrator’s reflection on his life, work to drive the plot while…

An important theme that is portrayed in the Heart of Darkness is the idea of hypocrisy. As the European countries began to colonize parts of Africa, one of the main ways to support the ventures would be through the ivory trade – something that is a staple in the business practices of the Europeans abroad.…

Conrad’s first two works were based on his experiences of Malaya, Almayer’s Folly and An Outcast of the Islands (1896). His best work came in 1897, The Nigger of the “Narcissus”, a moving story of life on board ship. He followed it with his many remarkable works in the following years. Heart of darkness in…

When the Europeans arrived in Nigeria to harvest ivory and spread their religious ideals, many Africans were exploited and their cultures were irreversibly changed. Two novels, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and by Chinua Achebe, provide accounts of how the white man impacted Africa. Yet whether the novels actually complement each other is questionable.…

Adaptations can come under great criticism when they do not remain faithful to every step of the original text as often it is claimed the adaptation will lose the original meaning of the text. “Apocalypse Now” as an adaptation deviates from the original novel ‘Heart of Darkness’ but retains the same values and morals. I…

Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is a dark and mysterious tale, with complex themes and characters. One of the major characters of this tale, Kurtz, does not appear until the near-end of the story. Yet, he has a significance presence and manages to remain in the mind of the reader. He influences the development of…