Heart of Darkness

Heart of Darkness

Chapter 1A
Pgs. 9-20

Pg. 9 – literary devices

• In noting that “the sea and the sky were welded together
without a joint,” the narrator uses figurative language and
imagery to depict the haze in the distance and the
merging of sky and earth along the horizon.

• The repetition of similar vowel sounds in the phrasing
“mournful gloom, brooding,” is an example of assonance,
which has the effect of slowing down the passage.

• The motif of light and dark is also introduced, as the
luminous haze over the sea is contrasted with the “dark
above Gravesend.”

• Dominoes were nicknamed bones because they were
originally made from animal bones or ivory. The
whimsical building of little structures with dominoes
foreshadows the story to come, in which ivory, and its
associations with death, will play a prominent role.

Pg. 9

• When Conrad wrote this novel, the British Empire
was at its height, its power and influence
extending over many parts of the world because
of centuries of colonization. What evidence is
there that the narrator seems to be proud of
British imperialism?

• London is described as the “biggest, and the
greatest, town on earth.”

• But note contrasting descriptions of “mournful
gloom, brooding motionless” and the Director of
Companies’ work was “within the brooding
gloom.”

Pg. 9

• Who is on board the Nellie?
• What effect does Conrad achieve by

delineating the characters through their jobs?
What might the labels imply?

Pg. 9-10

• How is Marlow described?

• Marlow is sitting in a “lotus position” and the
pose prompts the narrator to note that
Marlow “resembled an idol.” Later, the
narrator will remark that Marlow “had the
pose of a Buddha,” indicating that Marlow
could be seen as an enlightened teacher.

• The yellow skin and sunken cheeks could
indicate an illness. Yellow is often a color
associated with disease.

Pg. 10 – Literary Devices

• Simile – used to describe the mist over the marsh,
comparing it to a “gauzy and radiant fabric, hung from
the wooded rises inland, and draping the low shores in
diaphanous folds.” The radiant mist is again contrasted
with “the gloom to the west, brooding over the upper
reaches…*becoming+ more somber every minute.”

• Alliteration and personification – “The old river in its
broad reach rested unruffled” and “It had known and
served all the men…”

• Metonymy – “the sword” refers to military might and
“the torch” symbolizes the light of civilization,
particularly the light of Christianity (“a spark from the
sacred fire.”) Light as a symbol of civilization will
appear throughout the novel; however, it will soon
become apparent that, contrary to the narrator’s view,
such light will be a symbol of destruction and
corruption, not civilization and enlightenment.

Pg. 10

• What is the narrator’s tone when describing the Thames
and the history of the area? (Look at the paragraph
beginning with “Forthwith a change came over the
waters…”

• The narrator conveniently leaves out the dark history:

– Sir Francis Drake was involved in the West African slave trade
– “The Golden Hind’s rotund flanks full of treasure” actually

consisted of riches stolen from captured Spanish ships.
– John Franklin and his two ships, the Erebus and Terror,

became stranded in ice and the entire crew died of disease,
starvation, and exposure to the cold.

• The phrase “germs of empires” contains a symbolic
double meaning. Germs is another word for seeds, in the
sense that both are the beginnings of growth. Germs also
has the negative association with bacteria and disease.
This relates to the novel’s major theme of the destructive
power of imperialism.

Pg. 11 – literary devices

• Anadiplosis – the word death is introduced at
the end of one clause and repeated at the
beginning of the next one (“…disease, exile, and
death, - death skulking in the air…”)

• Personification – death is emphasized again as
Marlow describes it as a “skulking figure.”

• Parallelism – “In the air, in the water, in the
bush” is an example stressing the terrifying idea
that death lurked everywhere.

Pg. 11

• The narrator explains that Marlow’s stories differ from
those of other seaman, whose tales tend to be simple
and direct, their meaning easily found “within the shell of
a cracked nut.”

• For Marlow, “the meaning of an episode was not inside
like a kernel but outside, enveloping the tale…as a glow
brings out a haze.” Some scholars believe that this refers
to the novel itself, in that its meaning might not be
concisely easily summed up.

• Marlow’s experiences are filtered through his own mind
and are conveyed to the reader through the extensive
use of symbolism.

• The concepts of inscrutability and lack of communication
or understanding will figure prominently in the novel.

Pg. 11

• “And this also,” said Marlow suddenly, “has
been one of the dark places of the earth.”

• To what place is he referring and what does he
mean? (Take a look, also, at the paragraph
beginning with “I was thinking of very old
times, when the Romans first came here…”

• At one time, England was a primitive place
untouched by civilization. Marlow notes that,
before the Romans came, it was a place of
“darkness…the very end of the world.”

Pg. 12 – literary devices

• Frame Narrative – the central story (Marlow’s)
is framed within another story (that of the
group aboard the Nellie).

• Foreshadowing – Marlow’s depiction of what
early England must have been like for the
Roman invaders also foreshadows the story of
his trip to the Congo, where he will experience
a similar morbid fascination, finding himself in
“the midst of the incomprehensible…*and+
detestable.”

Pg. 12

• Marlow is referred to as having “the pose of a
Buddha,” once again associating him with an idol
or a god-like image. Some scholars suggest that
Marlow’s Buddha-like pose indicates that he has
been enlightened by the experience in the Congo.
It can also be argued that his ordeal has only
brought further darkness and lack of clarity.

• The reader must decide if Marlow’s experiences
in the Congo has caused him to achieve a deeper
understanding of humanity, the world, and
himself.

Pg. 12

• At the end of the 1st paragraph, Marlow
reflects on what it must have been like for the
early conquerors of Britain in an untamed
land, commenting that at one point, they
must have regretted the journey.

• What do you think he means when he says,
“What saves us is efficiency—the dovotion to
efficiency”?

Pg. 12

• Marlow says, “The conquest of the earth,
which mostly means the taking it away from
those who have a different complexion…than
ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look
into it too much.”

• He then says the activity is redeemed by an
idea (emphasized by the repeating of the word
“idea” four times in two sentences.)

• What is the “idea” he refers to? How does he
characterize this idea just before he breaks off
his statement?

Pg. 12

• (answer to previous question) He appears to be
referring to the idea that colonialism serves a
higher moral purpose—that its aim is to educate,
enlighten, and civilize the colonized people. This
misguided belief was espoused by many
Europeans to justify colonial expansion and
subjugation of other races, regardless of the costs.

• Marlow is being sarcastic when he describes the
idea as “something you can set up, and bow down
before, and offer a sacrifice to…”

• To what is he comparing the idea of colonialism
with this sarcastic remark?

PG. 13

• Marlow says of his experience:
• “No, not very clear. And yet it seemed to

throw a kind of light.” (a motif…hint, hint!)
• Marlow seems to be implying that his

experience in the Congo did reveal things to
him, yet he is still left with questions.

Pg. 13

• Marlow explains that the previously blank space on the
map was once “a white patch for a boy to dream
gloriously over.”

• However, it now had become “a place of darkness,”
which can be interpreted both literally and
metaphorically.

• The continent becomes a place of darkness because the
map has been filled in—darkened by “rivers and lakes
and names.” The darkness is also a symbol of
colonialism and its violence and death.

• In this sense, the white patch on the maps may be
associated with the innocence of youth.

• On another level, the phrase “place of darkness” also
refers to the darkness of the jungle and the
metaphorical darkness that will envelop Marlow’s mind
and soul during his journey there.

Pg. 13

• Extended Metaphor – Marlow compares the
Congo River to an uncoiled snake and himself
to a “silly little bird” fascinated by the
dangerous serpent. He ends the paragraph
with “the snake had charmed me.”

• What biblical reference to a snake can you
think of and how did that snake “charm”
someone?

Pg. 13

• “No, not very clear. And yet it seemed to
throw a kind of light.” ~Marlow

• With this contradictory statement, Marlow
seems to imply that the ordeal in Africa,
although puzzling and obscure, illuminated
and/or revealed things to him, causing him to
see the surrounding world—and even his own
thoughts—in a different way.

Pg. 14

• What is ominous about the circumstances surrounding
Marlow’s employment?

• “one of *the Company’s+ captains (Fresleven) had been
killed in a scuffle with the natives” and the Company
was anxious to replace him quickly.

• Note how Fresleven was described: “the gentlest,
quietest creature that ever walked on two legs.”

• How does this contrast with the events of his death?
What do you think drove Fresleven to beat the village
chief?

• This unsettling idea—that a person’s very nature can
be changed this drastically—emphasizes one of the
novel’s major themes.

• Why is Fresleven referred to as a “supernatural being”?

Pg. 14

• “A whited sepulcher” – is a reference to Matthew
23:27 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited
sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful
outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones,
and of all uncleanness.”

• When Marlow associates the city in which the
Company’s headquarters are located to a whited
sepulcher, what does he imply about the city and
the Company itself?

Pg. 14

• Foreshadowing of death and doom – “The
grass sprouting between the stones” on the
deserted street grimly echoes the description
of Fresleven’s remains: “the grass growing
through his ribs was tall enough to hid his
bones.”

• “A dead silence” encompasses the street,
further connecting the Company with death.

Pg. 15

• What colors appear on the “large shining
map” of Africa?

– The colors correspond to colonized territories
within Africa.

– The red represents British possessions. Yellow
represents the Belgian territories. Marlow is
working for a Belgian company.

– Yellow can be interpreted as a sign of sickness,
associating the Company with both physical and
moral illness/decay.

Pg. 15

• Marlow’s destination being “dead in the
center” has an ominous tone.

• Literally, he is going to the center of Africa,
but metaphorically, it is a reference to the
death happening there.

Pg. 15

• What is strange and/or disturbing about the
behavior of the two women?

• The women “knitting black wool feverishly”
are associated with Fate from ancient Greek
mythology. They were personifications of
destiny who were responsible for the
metaphorical thread of each person’s life.

PG. 16

• Note the conversation with the clerk.
• The clerk “glorified the Company’s business,”

yet implied that only a fool would go to the
Congo.

Pg. 16

• Why is the doctor measuring Marlow’s head?
• Note that the doctor admits “the changes take

place inside,” yet he is measuring the outside
of the skull.
• He is unable to compare his initial
measurements to those of the subjects
returning, as he implies that they never come
back.

PG. 16

• Notice the doctor questions Marlow about the
possibility of madness in his family.

• The hypocrisy of the Company employees is
evident: Although they all seem to know that
the experience leads to insanity or death, they
continue to send people there while they
remain safely at the home office.

Pg. 16

• Note the doctor’s advice:
• “Avoid irritation…”
• “In the tropics one must before everything

keep calm.”

Pg. 17

• Marlow’s aunt tells him “…that the laborer is
worthy of his hire.” Keep this in mind as you
continue reading the rest of the chapter.

• Marlow’s aunt represents the population of
Europe that is completely oblivious to the
realities of colonialism.

• Despite her claims about “weaning those
ignorant millions from their horrid ways,”
Marlow reminds her that the company is in
the business of making a profit.

Pg. 17

• Marlow says, “I felt as though…I were about to
set off for the center of the earth.”

• This is a possible allusion to Jules Verne’s novel
Journey to the Center of the Earth.

• In this novel, as the protagonists move closer to
the center of the earth, they observe earlier and
earlier eras.

• Similarly, Marlow will feel as though he is going to
a more primitive time.

• In addition, the center of the earth is a symbolic
reference to Hell.

Pg. 18

• The man-of-war, “incomprehensibly firing into
a continent,” is the epitome of barbarity and
senseless violence.

• Marlow’s metaphor “the merry dance of
death and trade” emphasizes the idea that
commerce and colonization are linked to
death.

• Not only are the men on the ship trying to kill
natives by shelling at them, but they
themselves are “dying of fever at the rate of
three a day.”

Pg. 18

• Note the simile comparing the “still and
earthy atmosphere to an overheated
catacomb” is a reverence to both ancient
Rome and early Christianity. (motifs)

• Marlow compares the journey to a “weary
pilgrimage amongst hints for nightmares.”

Pg. 19

• Note the Swede’s foreshadowing of doom
when he tells of the man who hanged himself
on the road.

• “A blinding sunlight” (one of the motifs)
symbolizes the destructive power of
civilization and the fact that the colonizers are
blind to their own morally corrupt activities.

Pg. 19

• The abandoned and decaying machinery
which resembles the carcasses of dead
animals is a major symbol of the Company’s
waste, corruption, inefficiency, and
negligence.

• Also note that they are blasting a cliff that is
not even in the way of the railway they are
supposedly building.

Pg. 19

• Notice Marlow’s observations of the men who
are chained together.

• He says, “…but these men could by no stretch
of imagination be called enemies.”

Pg. 20

• Note the kinds of devils Marlow has seen
during his lifetime compared with this new
devil he sees.

• He has seen “the devil of violence…the devil
of greed…and the devil of hot desire” and calls
them “strong, lusty, red-eyed devils.”

• These devils are evil, but they make no
excuses for their sinful nature and
energetically carry out their work with clear
and focused attention.

Pg. 20

• The new devil, the “flabby, pretending, weak-
eyed devil,” is phony and deceitful, disguising
its true objective and carrying out its work in a
lazy and unfocused way.

• The flabby devil symbolizes the Company—an
organization that is greedy and predatory, yet
foolish and inefficient.

Pg. 21

• The white worsted (a type of yarn made in
England) around the neck of the dying native
is a symbol of the strangling effect of
European colonization of Africa.

Pg. 21

• Note the juxtaposition of the dying black
natives in the dark grove with the elegantly
groomed and healthy white man (the
Company’s chief accountant) in the sunlight
near the station.

Pg. 22

• Note Marlow’s use of hyperbole in expressing
his impatience and irritation at having to stay
at the chaotic station: “I had to wait in the
station for ten days—an eternity.”

Pg. 22

• The buzzing flies, which Marlow mentions
three times on this page, can be seen as
indicators of death.

• Flies also symbolize evil.
• “big flies *that+ buzzed fiendishly, and did not

sting, but stabbed” (gives the flies a
monstrous nature)

Pg. 22

• The mysterious Kurtz is finally named. Kurtz can
be considered the antagonist to Marlow’s
protagonist.

• Kurtz is described as “a first-class agent,” “a very
remarkable person,” “in charge of a trading post”
and “sends in as much ivory as all the others put
together.”

• The accountant doesn’t seem to trust the staff at
the Central Station. He sends a verbal message
with Marlow. Also, he seems to think the
Company intends for Kurtz to rise in authority.

Pg. 23

• Marlow, recently horrified by the plight of the
dying “helpers” in the grove, now seems to view
the death of another forced laborer in a curt and
detached manner.

• “Now and then a carrier dead in a harness…” The
man is still wearing the harness, implying that
even in death, he is still a slave to the Company.

• Marlow seems to be changing over the course of
his land trek, by becoming increasingly
desensitized to the horrors surrounding him.

• He even says (after his irritation with the sick,
white man) “I felt I was becoming scientifically
interesting,” as a reference to the doctor’s
examination.

Pg. 23

• Note how Marlow characterizes the sound of
the drums.

• He describes the sound as “weird, appealing,
suggestive, and wild,” indicating that he is
enticed by its mysterious allure.

• He also compares the sound to “bells in a
Christian country,” suggesting that its meaning
may be parallel between tribal and Christian
religions.

Pg. 24

• “…the flabby devil was running that show.”
• Here it becomes clear that the flabby devil is

symbolic as an embodiment of the greed,
corruption, deceit, neglect, indolence,
recklessness, etc. with which the Company
itself is associated.

Pg. 24

• Note Marlow’s descriptions of the manager of
the Central Station:

• His blue eyes were “remarkably cold.”
• He had a “faint expression of his lips, something

stealthy—a smile—not a smile.
• He “inspired neither love nor fear, nor even

respect. He inspired uneasiness.” (remember
how the accountant felt about the people of the
Central Station)
• He’d maintained his position of authority because
he never became ill.

Pg. 25

• The manager’s smile is described as a “door
opening into a darkness he had in his
keeping.”

• “He had not genius for organizing; no learning,
and no intelligence; He originated nothing;
Perhaps there was nothing within him.”

• Throughout Marlow’s descriptions of him, the
manager’s identity is more defined by traits
that he lacks than by what he possesses.

Pg. 25

• More information about Kurtz!
• Kurtz was ill.
• The manager assured Marlow that Kurtz was

“the best agent…of greatest importance to the
Company.”

Pg. 26

• Marlow sarcastically relates ivory to a religious
artifact for these “faithless pilgrims” to pray to.
(an oxymoron, since a pilgrim is a religious person
on a journey that is brought about by faith.)

• Note the futility and absurdity of the man trying
to put out the fire with a pail with a hole in the
bottom of it. This is symbolic of the
ludicrousness of the Company and the futility of
colonialism.