Light and Dark in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay

Light and Dark in Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrads novel, Heart of Darkness, was written to explore the soul of man. If the book is viewed only superficially, a tragic story of the African jungle is seen, but when examined closely, a deeper meaning arises. Through his narrator Marlow, Conrad uses the theme of light and dark to contrast the civilized with the savage. Through the individual characters, Conrad creates the division between dark and light and black and white created by colonialism. Marlow and Kurtz can be as two halves of one soul. Throughout the tale, Marlow is disgusted with what he sees during his employment with the ivory company. He is shocked and angered at the horrible treatment of the†¦show more content†¦Marlow also witnesses black workers in chain-gangs throughout his journey up the river, along with a black man shot dead in the middle of the road and the beating of another black man accused of setting a fire in the supplies shed. Later, the manager orders the willful starvation of the cannibals of the crew. The meat the cannibals brought with them rotted and, although they were paid enough to buy food, the manager refused to stop along the way up the river for the cannibals to buy anything to eat. Finally, once they reach Kurtz, the manager sends men toward the compound heavily armed. He is solely concerned with t he safe confiscation of the ivory and not at all with Kurtz life. Subsequently, the manager goes to great lengths to guard the ivory while Kurtz is not: a makeshift curtain is all that separates Kurtz from the rest of the crew. Though all of these acts, the character of the manager displays the absolute darkness of the ivory company. Further atrocities committed by colonizing companies are shown through the Eldorado Exploring Expedition, based on an actual expedition - the Katanga Expedition of 1890. The expedition exposes more materialistic stupidity of such missions and also represents the reckless pirating colonizers, greedy without audacity, and cruel without courage (Conrad, 27). Just as in theShow MoreRelated lighthod Light and Dark in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness2308 Words   |  10 PagesLight and Dark in Heart of Darkness      Ã‚  Ã‚     Joseph Conrads repeated use of darkness in his novel Heart of Darkness has been widely interpreted. Readers have arrived at many different conclusions about the use of darkness throughout the novel. The critics themselves cannot agree what the darkness means.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The critics draw different conclusions about the use of darkness. For some critics, the use of darkness is seen as an intentional literary device. For example, Gary Adelman and MichaelRead More The Light and Dark Forces in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness1667 Words   |  7 PagesThe Light and Dark Forces in Heart of Darkness      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, explores something truer and more fundamental than a mere personal narrative. It is a night journey into the unconscious and a confrontation within the self. Certain circumstances of Marlows voyage, when looked at in these terms, have new importance. Marlow insists on the dreamlike quality of his narrative. It seems to me I am trying to tell you a dream - making a vain attempt, because no relation ofRead More Light and Dark in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay example844 Words   |  4 PagesLight and Dark in Heart of Darkness  Ã‚      Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness is a tragic tale of the white mans journey into the African jungle. When we peel away the layers, however, a different journey is revealed - we venture into the soul of man, complete with the darkness of depravity as well as the wonderful. In this essence Conrad uses this theme of light and darkness to contrast the civilized European world with the savage African world in Heart of Darkness. As aforementioned,Read More Light and Dark Imagery in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay594 Words   |  3 PagesLight and Dark Imagery in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is a novel about a man named Marlow and his journey into the depths of the African Congo. Marlow is in search of a man named Kurtz, an ivory trader. Though Marlow?s physical journey seems rather simple, it takes him further into his own heart and soul than into the Congo. The setting, symbols and characters each contain light and dark images, these images shape the central theme of the novelRead More Use of Light and Darkness in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness 1504 Words   |  7 PagesUse of Light and Darkness in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness  Ã‚      Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness contrasts light and darkness, to represent the civilized and uncivilized sides of the world. Conrad uses light to represent the civilized side of humanity while contrasting the dark with the uncivilized and savage. Throughout the thematic stages of the novel, that is the Thames river London, the companys office in Belgium, the journey to the heart of darkness and the conclusion, light and darkRead More Light and Dark in Heart of Darkness Essay1180 Words   |  5 PagesLight and Dark in Heart of Darkness       The brightest of lights can obscure vision while darkness can contain truths: one must not be distracted by the sheen of light, which conceals the deeper reality present in darkness. Joseph Conrads novel Heart of Darkness illustrates this idea with the use of several symbols. White Europeans are used as symbols of self-deception, and objects with an alabaster quality are symbols of barriers to inner truth. Black is the foil of white; it representsRead MoreEssay on Feminist Theory in Heart of Darkness1199 Words   |  5 PagesMonsters in Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad’s varying depiction of women in his novel Heart of Darkness provides feminist literary theory with ample opportunity to explore the overlying societal dictation of women’s gender roles and expectations in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The majority of feminist theorists claim that Conrad perpetuates patriarchal ideology, yet there are a few that argue the novel is gendered feminine. Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar claim â€Å"Conrad’s Heart of Darkness†¦penetratesRead MoreAnalysis Of Joseph Conrad s Heart Of Darkness1164 Words   |  5 PagesAs Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness eludes to the inverse interpretation of colors as a motif, Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now not only mimics but also portrays through the Vietnam War, the contrasting misguided crusades of enlightenment that the supreme race forces upon savages. The reversed meanings amongst the colors and entangled description in Heart of Darkness shows how backwards civilization is through the need to enlighten or civilize the natives is flamboyantly flaunted in both theRead More Light and Dark of Colonialism and Imperialism in Heart of Darkness1542 Words   |  7 PagesThe Light and Dark of Colonialism Exposed in Heart of Darkness       In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, challenges a dominant view by exposing the evil nature and the darkness associated with the colonialist ventures. It is expressed by Marlow as robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale, and men going at it blind - as it is very proper for those who tackle a darkness. The European colonialists are portrayed as blind lightbearers, people having a faà §ade of progress and cultureRead More The Role of Kurtz’s Intended in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness1580 Words   |  7 PagesThe Role of Kurtz’s Intended in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Very often in literature minor characters appear for only a short time in the story but carry a very heavy significance in the overall meaning of the book. Kurtz’s Intended, in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, is this kind of character. The unnamed woman only appears for a brief period at the end of the novel, but Conrad includes her for three very crucial reasons. He has Kurtz’s fiancà ©e appear to provide a justification for