Heart Of Darkness Analysis

Shiza Haroon
12/7/15
AP English 4
Ms. Elliott

Heart Of Darkness Psychoanalytical Critique Psychoanalysis is known as the theory in which our unconscious plays a big role in the actions that we take and the way our minds work in a way that goes beyond our awareness. Sigmund Freud is credited with this discovery and also with establishing an understanding of a big part of human psychology. Through Freud’s theory of repression, one can conclude that suppressed desires present themselves in unusual and unexpected ways. In Joseph Conrad’s “Heart Of Darkness”, Conrad portrays Freud’s theory of repression in the characters of Kurtz and Marlow by showing how their inner desires begin to take control of their minds and demonstrating that there
The id is categorized on pleasure; the part of our psyche which corresponds with our instincts, the ego is based on one’s conscience and is responsible for carrying out the absurd demands in a realistic fashion, while the super-ego is based on one’s conscience in a society and is accountable for comprehending the brain’s values/morals. Kurtz is the paramount character in Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness”. Working in the country of Africa in representation of one of the biggest Belgian trading companies, he is presented as a man with a great deal of talents. "The original Kurtz had been educated partly in England, and - as he was good enough to say himself — his sympathies were in the right place. His mother was half-English, his father was half-French. All Europe contributed to the making of Kurtz […]." (2.29) Throughout the beginning of the novel, Kurtz represents Europe’s way of life and seems to represent it well. In Europe, all he is exposed to is a civilized and contained environment in which social norms are able to guide him and lead him from going astray. In this environment, Kurtz was able to balance the aspects of his id and his super-ego easily. In other words, he was capable of knowing his limitations when it came to achieving his desires. However, after going to Africa, he seems to undergo a drastic change in personality and in conscience. His morality and his psyche all seem to deteriorate. Being
Kurtz represents the id, or the need to satisfy one’s instinct, while Marlow represents the ego, or one’s unconscious. Freud’s theory of repression as well as his ideas of dreams accurately analyze the purpose of Marlow and Kurtz’s psychological changes. This novel revolves around the idea that our subconscious has a more than important role in the actions that we take everyday, and if one’s psyche is thrown off balance it can have a permanent and potentially dangerous effect. This effect can be seen through the way in which Marlow and Kurtz had progressed as characters. Conrad is demonstrating the idea that all of us have an inner desire that we would like to succumb to and that the smallest change in environment or mindset can lead us to turn to our ‘hearts of