AP English: Major Works Data Sheet

Title: Heart of Darkness

Biographical information about the author

Author: Joseph Conrad

Joseph Conrad was born in 1857 in Poland as Jozef Teodor

Konrad Korzeniowski. His father was active in a
revolutionary movement to bring Polish independence, and as
a result, the Russian government kept Conrads family from
settling for long in one place. In 1878, he traveled to England
and spent the next twenty years sailing on British ships. In
1889, Conrad began writing his first novel Almayers Folly;
it was published in 1895. In 1890, Conrad was shocked by
what he saw when he traveled in the Belgian Congo, on a trip
in which gave him a severe illness and disillusioned him
towards imperialism. The exploitation he observed there
served as an inspiration for Heart of Darkness.

Date of Publication: 1902

Genre: Historical Fiction

Significance of the title

The title reflects the psychological darkness in characters
that appear throughout the book. This darkness being the
inherently evil nature of man. As imperialism moves
throughout Africa it becomes a place of evil has the
Europeans seek power and enslaves natives who are
characterized as savages. This causes the country,
specifically the Congo, to become consumed by darkness.
A movement to humanize to a population becomes a
process that only serves to cloud the eyes of the initiators
and the initiates. The desire to bring light to a country only
plunges back into darkness.

SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 4 Sept. 2014. Web.

Characteristics of the genre

Plot
Setting
Fictional characters/ actions
Something that is false my appear
Relates to historical facts/events
Stories centered around of a historical situation
A novel set in a historical period

Plot summary
Heart of Darkness begins on the Thames river and told by an unknown narrator. He and several other men are
on the deck of a ship when Marlow, a captain, begins to tell a story. Marlow had always wanted to travel to Africa
and up the snakelike Congo River. With the help of his aunt in Brussels, Marlow gets a job as a boat captain on the
river with a Dutch trading company that deals in ivory. After getting his assignment at the office in Brussels, he
travels to the mouth of the Congo River in a French steamer, which drops off soldiers and clerks at many stations
along the African coast. The site of a French man-of-war firing at nothing puzzles Marlow. When Marlow arrives at
the mouth of the Congo, a Swedish captain takes him to the companys Inner Station on a smaller boat. Outside of the
station he sees Africans chained and working hard at worthless projects, with others nearby dying slowly. Marlow is
impressed with the competence and dress of the accountant who works at this station. It is here that he firsts learns of
Kurtz, an exceptional trader who is destined for great things. Marlow then travels to the companys Central Station,
walking two hundred miles inland with a sick, overweight white man who had to be carried by Africans, until they
tired of it and abandoned him. Once at the station, Marlow meets the General Manager, a hollow man who got his job
not by virtue of his merit but simply by remaining alive. His only talent is making people feel uneasy. The boat
Marlow was supposed to captain had been torn up in an accident just before he arrived, so Marlow spends months at
the station making repairs and waiting for rivets. One day a building caught fire and they decided to punish an
African for it. Marlow then meets another hollow man, the brick maker, who has no materials to build bricks. The
brick maker questions Marlow about his connections in Europe, and Marlow learns more about Kurtz, who is besides
being an excellent trader, an artist and in Africa for the purpose of bringing light to the natives. The mysterious Kurtz
increasingly intrigues Marlow. He overhears the manager and the managers corrupt uncle express their hatred and
jealousy towards Kurtz, who is rumored to be ill. With the repairs complete, Marlow captained the boat upriver,
manager on board, towards Kurtzs station. He employed the help of a group of cannibals, who refrained from eating
anyone in his presence. Just before arriving at Kurtzs station, a tribe of Africans attacked the ship, and his African
helmsman was killed, having lost his self-control. At this point Marlow worries that he may never meet Kurtz, but
they find Kurtzs station upriver. Greeted by a young Russian, Marlow finds out that Kurtz is very ill. He also finds
out that Kurtz convinced a tribe he was a deity to use them to get more ivory. Kurtz goes crazy and runs for the
woods, devoid of all restraint. Marlow finds him and helps him back to his bed. Kurtz gives Marlow some papers to
give to people in Europe. Kurtz eventually dies, saying The horror, the horror. Marlow returns to Europe, delivers
the papers, and eventually talks to Kurtzs fianc. She is still very idealistic and he cannot tell her about Kurtzs last
words, saying instead Kurtz uttered her name before dying.

Describe the authors style

The complexity of Conrads language is often
characterized by balanced phrases and parallel structures.
He develops this narrative with long, poetic descriptions
of natural scenes. His verbosity, word choice, and
phrasing elevate the meaning of the prose. Conrad makes
use of literary techniques such as asyndeton and
polysyndeton to create diverse undertones and vibrant
imagery to develop the central tone throughout the text.
He connects these techniques with symbolism and irony
to foster a central theme- all men are inherently evil.

Quotes that demonstrate style

A haze rested on the low shores that ran out to sea in
vanishing flatness. The air was dark above Gravesend, and
farther back still seemed condensed into a mournful gloom,
brooding motionless over the biggest, and greatest, town on
earth. (1.2)
An empty stream, a great silence, an impenetrable forest. The
air was thick, warm, heavy, sluggish. (2.5)
"Thenwould you believe it?I tried the women. I, Charlie
Marlow, set the women to workto get a job. Heavens!
(1.19)
"The brown current ran swiftly out of the heart of darkness,
bearing us down towards the sea with twice the speed of our
upward progress; and Kurtz's life was running swiftly, too,
ebbing, ebbing out of his heart into the sea of inexorable time."
(3.35)

4 Memorable quotations

Significance of quotations

1.

The work was going on. The work! And this was the
place where some of the helpers had withdrawn to
die. (1.39)

This quote clearly illustrates the theme that the European

presence in Africa was futile and cruel. The Europeans at the
outer station were working the Africans to death on projects
for no apparent purpose. The senselessness of the situation is
used by Conrad to show that the Europeans were not going to
accomplish anything in Africa.

2.

I noticed there was a hole in the bottom of his pail.

(1.55)

In this passage a shed catches on fire. A man tries to put the

fire out but is set up for failure because of a hole in his pail.
European imperialism is the water pail and the fire is the
culture that the Europeans are trying to suppress. The water
pail cannot put out the fire because all the water leaks out.
Conrad uses this the hole in the bucket to show that the
European attempt to civilize the Africans is futile.

3.

The horror! The horror! (3.41)

This quote expresses existentialism. When Kurtz realizes that

he has reached the end of his journey, his life, he can
remember the many experiences and accomplishments he has
made during the journey of his life. However, Kurtz also
realizes that the path he had chosen for his journey brought
about his demise. This also reflected through Marlow who
gains experience through his journey in Africa but when he
returns to Europe he cannot bring closure to his journey.

4.

What saves us is efficiency the devotion to

efficiency. (1.12)

This quote most clearly supports the theme that without

restraint civilization turns savage. Marlow comments that
conquerors like the Romans can remain sane by efficiently
doing their work and not deeply involving themselves with the
natives. The focus on efficiency restrains people from
answering to only their primal instincts. Marlow is able to
remain civil by occupying himself with the responsibilities of
being a riverboat captain; however, Kurtz ignores the
guidelines of his work and is pulled into the savage culture of
the natives.

Characters
Name
Marlow

Role in story
He is a European sailor who
narrates the story. He goes to
Africa to pilot a riverboat for a
Belgian ivory trading company.

Significance
Marlow plays a significant role in the themes of the novel. During
Marlows journey up the river Marlow witnesses the futility of the
European imperialism, seeing incidents of meaningless abuse. Upon
reaching Kurtz, a brilliant man Marlow had eagerly anticipated meeting,
he finds a sick, savage man lost with no restraint. He learned more in his
journey from his observations on restraint and the treatment of the
Africans than he did when he finally arrived at his goal, which was to
speak to Kurtz.

Adjectives
ascetic
honest

Kurtz

He is the most successful agent

for the Dutch trading company.

Kurtz is critical to the meaning of the novel. His initial goals disappeared
as he rose to be the top agent in the Belgian Congo. His change from an
idealistic imperialist to an ivory-obsessed agent is used to show that the
Europeans could not civilize Africa. Africa made Europeans
un-civilized. After being isolated for too long, he had become a beast,
with the heads of Africans on poles at his station. Kurtz, a good man in
Europe, had lost all restraint, even ignoring the rules of his own
company. Conrad illustrates that without restraint, people tend towards
savagery through Kurtzs attempted escape into the jungle.

Talented,
Conflicted

Accountant

He lives at the Outer Station

and is the companys main
accountant.

Conrad uses the accountant to show that with restraint, a person is

sensible and level-headed, even in difficult conditions, in contrast with
the helmsman and Kurtz that Marlow will encounter later. The
accountant is restrained by his commitment to his appearance and his
work.

Well-Dressed,
Hard-Working

Marlows
Aunt

She is in the top social circle in

Brussels, and she helps Marlow
get the job in Brussels.

Marlows Aunt believes in imperialism. She plays the role of showing

the idealistic European view of imperialism, blind to its exploitation,
cruelty, and ultimate futility. While no progress is being made on the
African cultures, she is enthusiastic about the idea.

Enthusiastic,
Idealistic

African
Woman

She is Kurtzs lover at the inner

station; she belongs to the tribe
which Kurtz controls.

Kurtzs mistress provides more basis for the theme that the imperialism
is futile. Kurtz went to Africa to civilize savages like her but instead
he became like her. She is mysterious and the pilgrims did not
understand what she was saying or doing.

Wild, Gorgeous

General
Manager

He runs the company.

The general manager shows how restraint keeps people from becoming
savage. He outlasts Kurtz and everyone else in Africa by being patient
and following all of the rules.

Hollow,
Repugnant

General
Managers
Uncle

He is in charge of the corrupt

Eldorado Expedition.

The managers uncle and his expedition represent the cruelty in the
European occupation. They are sordid buccaneers reckless without
hardihood, greed without audacity, and cruel without courage (27).

Corrupt,
Conspiring

Harlequin
Russian

He is Kurtzs assistant and

devoted follower at the inner
station.

The Russians actions may also depict the theme that restraint keeps
people from wild savagery. He is busy talking to and taking care of
Kurtz, but in the end, when Kurtz is dying, he is content to walk out into
the jungle with practically nothing.

Young, Foolish

Kurtzs
Intended

She is Kurtzs fiance back in

Europe.

She represents the idealism behind imperialism, much like Marlows

aunt. She believes Kurtz died doing good things for the world, when in
fact, he died doing no good

Nave, Mature

The
Helmsman

He was an African who helped

Marlow navigate.

The helmsman shows how the loss of restraint causes a person to

become savage. During the attack on the ship, the helmsman lost all
restraint and began acting on primal instinct, ultimately leading to his
death.

Unrestrained,
Foolish

Allusions
The Bible: Matthew 23:27-28
Moirae (Greek Fates)
King Arthur

Sleeping Beauty
Buddha
El Dorado

Setting (time and place) and significance

Significance of opening scene

The setting begins on the Nellie, a ship at anchor in the Thames

River in London. While anchoring there, Marlow tells his companions
on the Nellie a narrative about his adventures in Africa as a riverboat
captain on the Congo River sometime in the past. The Congo story is
preceded and followed by a visit to Brussels, Belgium, the
headquarters for the ivory company that hires him.
The setting provides the opportunity for characterization. The
Congo makes Marlow feel greatly out of place and disgusted by these
things. It is through his eyes, then, that we can experience the terrible
situation the Europeans have created to strip the land for personal
profit. The darkness no longer applies only to the shadowy jungle, but
to the blackness of men's souls. This is a land of mystery, and what is
unknown is used to create the mood and influence the reader. Part of
the suspense of the story rests in the unknown dangers in the jungles.
This also comes from the story's setting.

In the opening scene the major themes of the novel are put into
progress. The narrator develops the theme that a journey is
more fulfilling than its end. The sea moves the men and when
it finally reaches its goal, moving them to their destinations, it
is left with only memories. Marlow then initiates the theme
about imperialism through a reference to how the Romans
civilized Britain by colonizing the land many years ago,
putting themselves in a place they were uncomfortable and
into an unconquerable darkness. Preceding his story about
his time in the Congo, Marlow refers to the theme about
restraint, talking about how the Romans had probably kept
themselves sane with work and a goal in mind, or else they
would have lost their minds in the wilderness.

Themes (explain what they mean)

Significance of closing scene

1.

Marlow is disgusted by the people of Brussels when he returns; he

sees these people as living trivial, self-important lives that offend
Marlow in his knowledge gained from his journey. Marlow visits The
Intended to give away personally the last physical possessions of
Kurtz and to symbolically end his memory of Kurtz; Marlow and the
Intended discuss Kurtz for some time, and then Marlow tells her that
he uttered her name as his last word, to keep her in her happy reality
rather
than the more gruesome one. By telling this lie, Marlow has decided
to allow the idealism about imperialism to go on. Marlows story has
little noticeable effect on the crew except for the narrator; while the
Director tells the people aboard the boat that they have lost the ebb,
the nameless narrator become introspective and sees something like
the heart of darkness in the clouds above London.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

The desire for control in found to create greed that corrupt the
purity in man
2.

Imperialism and civilizing savages = hypocrisy

Imperialism brings about the decimation of a unique culture

through forced assimilation which in itself is an act of
savagery and tyranny.
3.

Greed demolishes morality.

Greed leads to corruption that blinds a person to the sanity of

morals.
4.

All individuals are inherently evil.

Evil is an innate trait of man that becomes apparent through

acts of corruption and greed.
5.

When one is removed from societys mores and

restrictions, good and evil become relative terms.

Removing from civilization leads man to become savage and

abandon their morals and ignore social norms.
6.

Old AP questions

Moral Ambiguity - good vs. evil, light vs. dark, Europeans

vs. savage Africans who are the real evil ones?

Symbols & Motifs (explain what they mean)

1.

White/light and black/dark imagery

This imagery represents the conflict between good and evil

that plagues man.
2.

Surfaces and borders, the edges of things

Separates the connection between two worlds. The perceived

good of the world and the actual evil of the world.
3.

Fog, mist

The wicked acts of the Europeans in the Congo cause them to

become appear savage blurring the lines of morality between
them in the natives in the Congo.

An engulfing substances of evil and illusions. It creates

ignorance and contributes to futility.

7.

A motif of the ineffectiveness and misguided aims of

colonialism by the Europeans.

Women should be kept in their beautiful, idealized world.

Women must be shield from the wicked realities of

imperialism to preserve their purity.
8.

Marlows journey up the Congo River parallels his

exploration of the human psyche and the nature of evil.

Marlow examines the psychoanalytic nature of human

behavior as the innate behavior of man is discovered
throughout his journey.

4.

5.

Futility

Ivory

The spark that ignites corruption in the European explores that

leads to the degradation of a region.
6.

Jungle

An immense landscape of corruption in struggle. Once men

enter they come out on the wrong side of morality.