Charles Marlow
, the narrator, tells his story to friends aboard Nellie, a boat anchored on the River Thames near Gravesend, of how he became captain of a river steamboat for an ivory trading company.
Why does Heart of Darkness have two narrators?
Conrad wrote Heart of Darkness as a first-person narrative. Marlow, the protagonist, tells his own story from his own perspective. Thus, the reader experiences the story from Marlow's point of view. … Because
Heart of Darkness makes use of a frame narrative
, there is a second narrator.
Who are the narrators in Heart of Darkness?
Narrator There are two narrators:
an anonymous passenger on a pleasure ship
, who listens to Marlow's story, and Marlow himself, a middle-aged ship's captain.
Is the narrator in Heart of Darkness *?
Marlow
is the principal narrator in Heart of Darkness. He is introduced in the beginning of the novel by an anonymous narrator who talks about his past life and career.
What is Conrad message in Heart of Darkness?
Conrad offers parallels between London (“the greatest town on earth”) and Africa as places of darkness. Central to Conrad's work is the idea that there is little difference between “civilised people” and “savages.” Heart of Darkness
implicitly comments on imperialism and racism
.
Why is it called Heart of Darkness?
The phrase ‘Heart of Darkness' refers to the inmost region of Africa (which was in those times still in the process of being explored) and the black people who still led primitive lives. The title is appropriate for the novel
because Marlow has described his experiences of the Congo and people of Congo
.
What is the tone in Heart of Darkness?
As the characters move further into the interior, the tone becomes darker and more sinister. There is often a feeling of general apprehension and uneasiness at not knowing what's coming. The main tone for the majority of the novel is
darkness
. Marlow often uses the word when he's talking.
Why do the natives worship Kurtz?
In Heart of Darkness, the natives adore Kurtz and worship him as a
demigod partly because of his personal charisma
, but also because he has superior European technology which they have never seen before.
What are Kurtz last words?
Kurtz dies on the boat with the last words, “
The horror! The horror!
” Kurtz ultimately was changed by the jungle. At first he wanted to bring civilization to the natives, as his painting shows, but by the end he wants to “exterminate all the brutes!”
Why is Kurtz important in Heart of Darkness?
Kurtz is a
dangerous man because he gives the lie to the Company's “humanistic” intentions in the Congo
. He returns more ivory than all the other stations put together, and does so through the use of absolute force.
What does Marlow symbolize in Heart of Darkness?
So the incursion into the heart of darkness also means
a descent by Marlow into the depths of his own soul
. As Marlow stands for Conrad himself so the novel also becomes a kind of the exploration of Conrad's own mind during his visit to Congo.
Is Kurtz good in Heart of Darkness?
Everyone who knows Kurtz (even his fiancée, who doesn't know him at all) agrees that he has
all the ambition, charisma, and eloquence to achieve greatness
. As the Intended says—although she's not the most reliable witness—he's a man of “promise,” “greatness,” a “generous mind,” and a “noble heart” (3.66).
What are the major themes in Heart of Darkness?
- The Hypocrisy of Imperialism. Heart of Darkness explores the issues surrounding imperialism in complicated ways. …
- Madness as a Result of Imperialism. Madness is closely linked to imperialism in this book. …
- The Absurdity of Evil. …
- Futility. …
- Contradiction and Ambivalence. …
- Hollowness.
What is the main theme of Heart of Darkness?
Overview. The main themes of Heart of Darkness include
darkness, alienation and loneliness, and chaos and order
. Darkness: Marlow sees “darkness” in the practices of imperialism, though the book maintains the racist implication that it is the uncivilized land and people that led to Europeans' corruption.
What does Heart of Darkness teach us?
Heart of Darkness suggests that
Europeans are not essentially more highly-evolved or enlightened than the people whose territories they invade
. To this extent, it punctures one of the myths of imperialist race theory.
Why did Marlow lie about Kurtz last words?
Marlow lies to Kurtz's Intended to spare her the painful reality of her fiancé's descent into madness and evil. … Marlow lies that the last word Kurtz uttered was his fiancée's name
because “it would have been too dark”
to tell her that Kurtz last spoke of pure and desolate horror.
