Exploring the Concept of the Development of Evil, and a Child Born Evil in the Books “the Heart of Darkness” and “the Castle in the Forest, ”

Exploring the concept of the development of evil, and a child born evil in the books “The Heart of Darkness” and “The Castle in the Forest,”

Inspired by personal experiences during his journey to the Congo in the late 1800s, Joseph Conrad explores the idea of an internal darkness that lurks in all of us, which thrives when isolated from the laws and conventions of society. This is also seen in the book by Norman Mailer “The Castle in the Forest,” where evil is investigated from a different perspective; where darkness is born in the person, rather than developed. In Norman Mailers book, an individual’s decent into evil is narrated and explored by an observer who later takes the form of the devil, whereas in “The Heart of Darkness”, the story is told from the viewpoint of a character whose western conventions are worn away by his experiences in the Congo; he views the white mans’ inhumanity to the natives and how cheaply their life is valued.

In Joseph Conrad’s novel we can see an immediate effect of isolation on Marlow and his group when entering the ‘Heart of Darkness’. A place void of civilities provokes an animalistic reaction in people otherwise considered normal and respectable in Europe. “One of these fellows should be hanged for an example.” as said in response to a trivial incident when their journey down the river had just began. Almost immediately the setting begins to affect the behaviour of those on the boat, causing them to consider decisions normally considered evil. James Topham commented on the upsetting nature of taking a “European man of sophistication to something far more frightening.” .His reaction posits the concept that a situation which induces a constant state of fear combined with freedom from laws can create such a reaction in the most mundane of people.

On arrival at the outer station, Marlow, the protagonist of Joseph Conrad’s novel is immediately presented with the madness of colonialism. Marlow describes his acquaintance with “the devil of violence,” of greed and “the devil of hot desire,” in his past; and is therefore surprised by the image of the “weak-eyed devil” that surrounds him at the Outer Station. Marlow describes the white men who have enslaves the native Africans as devils; an embodiment of evil. However, he also describes them as “flabby,” their motiveless cruelty is incomprehensible malevolence to him. His intelligence shows the reality, rather than the feigned good that these same men think they are bringing to the natives. Critic Hunt Hawkins suggested that this showed the “pure selfishness” in believing that the “civilizing work” in Africa is anything but a “justifiable idea.” The idea of a tangible evil develops throughout the novel. The same motif runs through Norman Mailers novel ‘The Castle in the Forest.’ The narrator names himself as a “devil” following the “Evil One at the moment of Adolf’s conception. The names of the devil in this book increase with each section, hinting towards Hitler’s constant watch by a devil and its influence on him as his evil develops. As Paul O’Prey suggests, “the 'impenetratable' becomes a central theme."

As though foreshadowing the number of deaths in the novel, at the beginning of the novel Marlow shows his indifference to a death of a man that frees up a position for him to achieve his ambitions. The Company received news that one of their native captains had been “killed in a scuffle with the natives.” Marlow almost rejoices in this man’s murder and shows little sympathy for him if it results in his acceptance into the company. Marlow only seems to face the reality of death when he witnesses a man’s passing first hand; he describes a white flicker in the “depths” of the “orbs,” which “died out slowly.” Marlow stumbles upon the outcome of the Europeans evil when faced with the dying native, and yet he ignores it to protect his position of respectability. As the Heart of Darkness is based around Conrad’s own disastrous experiences in the Congo in 1890, he might be trying to express at the beginning of Marlow’s journey, the sheer depression and isolation that he would encounter.

We are told at the beginning of the second chapter that Kurtz is alone deep in the Congo. He isolated himself with the irrational fear that the Company were trying to “dispose” of him. The belief of a conspiracy in his mind presents the idea that Kurtz might have been changed by his surrounding, trusting only himself to get the job done. This egocentric view indicates how Kurtz’ evil could escalate quickly due to his seclusion, as he is a superior man. Similarly, in ‘The Castle in the Forest’ Adolf Hitler from birth is isolated by his father Alois. Neglected throughout his childhood, only doted on by his mother, she soon begins to find annoyance in his constant misbehaviour, yearning for a second child. A boy which both her and “Alois will love”, as she honestly believe that Adolf “wouldn’t survive”, and would be taken from him. Although it is suggested that Adolf was born with an evil watching over him, the evil of neglect throughout his early years show a clear link to the same evil in both Joseph Conrad’s and Norman Mailer’s books.

Throughout both novels there is the concept of the effect of violence on humans. The encouragemnet of evil through an act of beating or cruelty is seen both through Kurtz’ transformation and Adolf Hitler’s fascination with acts of violence. In Joseph Conrad’s novel, we can see immediately the violence which ensues on the Outer station and further into the Congo; Natives in chains with “tails”, “dying slowly” under the remote shade. We can assume that there was a similar greeting on Kurtz’ arrival. It’s hard for a person to see so much death and violence, and not be affected by it. Marlow, although a majorly good character in the novel, seems to humour some of his own basic urge. Therefore, Kurtz’ drastic change when isolated could easily be explained by the influence of violence, fuelling his evil within. This same concept can be seen in Norman Mailer’s novel. At an early age, Hitler seems to acquire an interest in pain when watching his father beat their dog for crying too loud. He is described as having a look of “remarkable intensity” for one “so small.” ‘Remarkable’ suggests the strange uniqueness to Adolf’s fascination with this cruel punishment. One could argue that this reinforces the idea of an evil born however; Alois and his purposeful show of beating the dog almost encourages an evil in his son through the act of violence. This is seen later when Hitler “rebelled” and creates a mess with his own excretion, making him feel “masterful” over his mother.

We understand the full extent to which Kurtz’ has succumbed to his own devil at the first sight of his camp when Marlow realises that on top of the poles surrounding his settlement were “heads on stakes.” There are clues however to his change when Marlow reads what Kurtz’ has written, “Exterminate all the brutes.” He uses language which is associated with pests, as though they were animals rather than people, belittling their humanity. His obvious corruption and evil is clear to those superior to him, nevertheless, they refuse to acknowledge its full capacity. The respect for Kurtz and his constant supply of ivory overcomes their revulsion of the cruelty which he conveys very clearly. Marlow, on his journey to him, encounters many who have acquainted themselves with him. They tell stories hinting to his loss of civilities, however they never insult him. They speak with awe at his achievement, rather than with disgust. Even those who were injured by him seem to defend him. Whether out of fear, or respect, people who accept the rewards from Kurtz’ keep his evil hidden which seems to make the surprise of coming onto his camp surrounded by death even more sickening.

One of the clearest references to evil is during Kurtz’ death. During his last minutes, the reality of his actions become clear to him and he dies uttering his final words “The Horror! The Horror!” The Critic H.L.Mencken suggested that Kurtz looked deep into him and found “nothing – no meaning.” He couldn’t find an exterior explanation for the cruelty he had inflicted, and found only himself to blame, while Marlow is, as James Guetti suggests “denied the final self-knowledge that Kurtz had”. This chilling concept of an evil residing in every human, exposed through acts of neglect, violence and isolation comes with Kurtz’ death. He was the main evil in the book, but we realise he was a normal man and his experiences are to blame for the evil he created. Kurtz’ looks in to his soul and sees the evil that he had become, whereas Adolf Hitler in Normal Mailer’s novel grew up with evil urges. He would never have the personal insight that what he believed was wrong. He could never have a final realisation of his culpability like Kurtz, as he never was ‘normal’.

In Conclusion, ‘The Heart of Darkness’ and ‘The Castle in the Forest,’ have similar and opposing views on the same subject. In Joseph Conrad’s novel, we are presented the idea of the environment and influence being the source of evil, how it may reside in all of us, but only grows if we allow it to. The narrator in Norman Mailer’s novel seems to suggest that an evil such as Adolf Hitler’s is one that is innate, the idea that anyone could have the same urges as Hitler seems to be a concept too fearful for him. However, there are undertones that the author sows in to the novel that even if Hitler was born with the ‘devils’ involvement, without the cruelty that his father inflicted, the evil may not have increased to such an extreme level. Therefore, both novels seem to agree that evil can be developed through certain experiences, rather than being born.