The famous novel, Heart of Darkness was written by Joseph Conrad in 1899 in England. The protagonist, Marlow, is an intelligent, brave, complex individual. The unknown narrator, along with the three other passengers onboard the boat, are listening to Marlow’s story being told from the first person perspective. The novel takes place in many locations and changes as the tale progresses. The Thames River and the Congo are just some of the locations where Marlow’s tale takes his listeners. Heart of Darkness is an entertaining story about Marlow’s adventures and a renowned piece of British literature.
In the beginning of the novel, five men are relaxing on a ship called the Nellie, lying on the edge of the Thames River, located in London. The five men include Marlow, a lawyer, the director of companies, an accountant, and the unnamed narrator. As the men converse on the ship, Marlow recalls his experience as a captain of a steamship sailing up the Congo River in Africa. He learned of this job with a Belgian company, through his aunt. Once he heard of the job opportunity, he crossed the English Channel to sign a contract at the company’s office. Prior to signing the contract, Marlow tells of what happened to the previous ship captain, Fresleven, and his unfortunate death in Africa involving a dispute over hens. After meeting the head of the company and signing the contract, he meets a doctor who approves him for the job. With everything approved and ready, Marlow says his goodbyes to his aunt and boards a steamship.
Arriving at the mouth of the Congo River, Marlow boards another steamship where he meets and converses with a young Swede. While traveling down the river, he observes the company’s old, rotting machinery. He also notices a group of black prisoners being guarded by another black man who claims he is familiar with devils of different evils. Marlow then encounters a group of cadaverous looking locals being forced to work for