Loss of Innocence in Heart of Darkness Essay - 1723 Words

Loss of Innocence in Heart of Darkness Heart of Darkness is Joseph Conrads tale of one mans journey, both mental and physical, into the depths of the wild African jungle and the human soul. The seaman, Marlow, tells his crew a startling tale of a man named Kurtz and his expedition that culminates in his encounter with the voice of Kurtz and ultimately, Kurtzs demise. The passage from Part I of the novel consists of Marlows initial encounter with the natives of this place of immense darkness, directly relating to Conrads use of imagery and metaphor to illustrate to the reader the contrast between light and dark. The passage, although occurring earlier on in the novel, is interspersed with Marlows two opposing†¦show more content†¦Clearly one for variance, Conrad gives numerous different descriptive adjectives for the jungle inhabitants, while still keeping with the theme of darkness and relating them all back to another, creating a pattern of descriptions that also correspond to his depiction of the en vironment around Marlow. The trees, for example, create a shady spot that gives cover and solace to what Marlow refers to as dark things (24). The people and the land seem to intertwine, and it becomes difficult to discern where one ends and the other begins, since they are each an essential part of one another. The primitive descriptions lent to the people are also lent to the land, creating a common ground, which connects the two very nicely. The river leading Marlow deep into the jungle is an immense snake uncoiled, with its head in the sea, its body at rest curving afar over a vast country, and its tail lost in the depths of the land (71). However, it comes much later on in the story that Marlow begins to wise up to what is truly going on. He eventually is able to see past the propaganda and the talking up of this concept of imperialism. The structure of the novel contributes to the feel in this respect. Marlow is telling this story to someone else after all of the events of the novel have already taken place, thus he can contribute his own commentary along the way, breaking free fromShow MoreRelatedMortality And Darkness Within British Literature. British1227 Words   |  5 PagesMortality and Darkness Within British Literature British modernism, the period that begins around 1880 and extends to around 1945, breaks from conservative forms of literature and delve deeper into modern forms. 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