Heart Of Darkness Mentality
In the novella “Heart of Darkness” Joseph Conrad compares and contrasts the societies and civilizations of Europe and Africa. Throughout the novella Conrad displays different opinions along with comparisons and contrasts of the mentality, the reputation that is perceived by the people of the two continents and also the differences between the people and their lifestyles. The representation of the African culture in “Heart of Darkness” is considered a dark, mysterious, inhumane continent where savages dwell while worshiping their precious ivory. By describing what Marlow was seeing in Africa as “unearthly, and the men were—No, they were not inhuman” proves to the reader that what Marlow was experiencing was something that was not only foreign
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to him but something that had proven his previous thoughts true, that the African people were truly inhumane compared to the Europeans (Conrad 37). Marlow and his crew strongly believed that Africa was not only a physically dark place but also a mentally dark place. Seeing africa as “the other world” and also as “one of the dark places of the earth” demonstrates how later on in the novella, Africa, was considered a place that had conquered the darkness and was now at peace with itself (Achebe 4). By setting up Africa as a unearthly, inhumane , dark place, in the reader's head, it impacts the work as a whole by setting up the true meaning behind all of the darkness and inhumane ways of the savages. While everyone knows that generally Africa is a continent that is looked down upon, the Europeans in “Heart of Darkness” looked down upon it harsher than anyone else did at the time. One of the main reasons Africa was such a disgrace to Europe was the fact that they really did not have any quality education available for their people. At one point in the novella, Marlow even states that "The original Kurtz had been educated partly in England”(Conrad 48). This statement makes Marlow automatically have some respect for Kurtz just simply because he was educated in Europe. While the education was a large factor in why Europeans did not respect the Africans another factor was the fact that they sincerely felt that the quality of not only people but the overall quality of life was better in Europe. For example the way Marlow and his crew described the goal of their trip as a “heavenly mission to civilize you” (referring to the savages) showcases the fact that Marlow and his crew of fellow europeans felt as if all of the people of Africa were savages and had no civilized way of living (Conrad 13). What Marlow and his crew failed to realize was that “the people of the Congo were not primitives ,cannibals, or savages” (Bradley 4). This contributes to “Heart of Darkness” by showing how different the europeans believed they were compared to how close they compared to each other at the end of the novella. The main comparison in “Heart of Darkness” was madness that affected not only the Africans but also the Europeans while traveling through the “heart of darkness.” While Marlow and the people accompanying him believed that the people in Africa were actually deranged savages who had gone mad in the jungle, they began to realize the deeper they went into the jungle the worse it became for them also.
As Marlow began to watch everyone around him succumb to the greediness of wealth and power, he discovered that all that was left of Kurtz was “The wastes of his weary brain were haunted by shadowy images now – images of wealth and fame revolving obsequiously round his unextinguishable gift of noble and lofty expression.” (Conrad 64). This quote proves to the reader that the darkness of the jungle is actually the deranged mentality that takes place when one becomes so hungry for fame and wealth that they will do absolutely anything to achieve the goal of being someone who is powerful. This is a significant part of the novella and the work as a whole simply because the madness that begins and ends in the jungle becomes known as the “darkness” that is referenced to many times throughout the novella. This madness could be described as something that is a “lightness growing gradually darker,a sense of foreboding that intensifies” (Achebe 3). This quote exemplifies the darkness of not only Africa but also the darkness that Marlow begins to realize not only exists where the savages are but also exists in his own territory of Europe, which shocks Marlow into utter realization that darkness does not always have to be a dark space but it can also be a dark
mentality. Joseph Conrad displays the true meaning of darkness throughout the novella “Heart of Darkness” through displaying the differences and similarities in Europe and Africa. He does this by showing the reader the differences in mentalities, reputations and lifestyles. He does this all the while showing the reader just how dangerous the need for power, and wealth.
to him but something that had proven his previous thoughts true, that the African people were truly inhumane compared to the Europeans (Conrad 37). Marlow and his crew strongly believed that Africa was not only a physically dark place but also a mentally dark place. Seeing africa as “the other world” and also as “one of the dark places of the earth” demonstrates how later on in the novella, Africa, was considered a place that had conquered the darkness and was now at peace with itself (Achebe 4). By setting up Africa as a unearthly, inhumane , dark place, in the reader's head, it impacts the work as a whole by setting up the true meaning behind all of the darkness and inhumane ways of the savages. While everyone knows that generally Africa is a continent that is looked down upon, the Europeans in “Heart of Darkness” looked down upon it harsher than anyone else did at the time. One of the main reasons Africa was such a disgrace to Europe was the fact that they really did not have any quality education available for their people. At one point in the novella, Marlow even states that "The original Kurtz had been educated partly in England”(Conrad 48). This statement makes Marlow automatically have some respect for Kurtz just simply because he was educated in Europe. While the education was a large factor in why Europeans did not respect the Africans another factor was the fact that they sincerely felt that the quality of not only people but the overall quality of life was better in Europe. For example the way Marlow and his crew described the goal of their trip as a “heavenly mission to civilize you” (referring to the savages) showcases the fact that Marlow and his crew of fellow europeans felt as if all of the people of Africa were savages and had no civilized way of living (Conrad 13). What Marlow and his crew failed to realize was that “the people of the Congo were not primitives ,cannibals, or savages” (Bradley 4). This contributes to “Heart of Darkness” by showing how different the europeans believed they were compared to how close they compared to each other at the end of the novella. The main comparison in “Heart of Darkness” was madness that affected not only the Africans but also the Europeans while traveling through the “heart of darkness.” While Marlow and the people accompanying him believed that the people in Africa were actually deranged savages who had gone mad in the jungle, they began to realize the deeper they went into the jungle the worse it became for them also.
As Marlow began to watch everyone around him succumb to the greediness of wealth and power, he discovered that all that was left of Kurtz was “The wastes of his weary brain were haunted by shadowy images now – images of wealth and fame revolving obsequiously round his unextinguishable gift of noble and lofty expression.” (Conrad 64). This quote proves to the reader that the darkness of the jungle is actually the deranged mentality that takes place when one becomes so hungry for fame and wealth that they will do absolutely anything to achieve the goal of being someone who is powerful. This is a significant part of the novella and the work as a whole simply because the madness that begins and ends in the jungle becomes known as the “darkness” that is referenced to many times throughout the novella. This madness could be described as something that is a “lightness growing gradually darker,a sense of foreboding that intensifies” (Achebe 3). This quote exemplifies the darkness of not only Africa but also the darkness that Marlow begins to realize not only exists where the savages are but also exists in his own territory of Europe, which shocks Marlow into utter realization that darkness does not always have to be a dark space but it can also be a dark
mentality. Joseph Conrad displays the true meaning of darkness throughout the novella “Heart of Darkness” through displaying the differences and similarities in Europe and Africa. He does this by showing the reader the differences in mentalities, reputations and lifestyles. He does this all the while showing the reader just how dangerous the need for power, and wealth.