Heart Of Darkness Essay
Darkness in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness
The symbolism of darkness plays a central role in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. For instance, as Marlow narrates his encounter working as an agent of a Belgian ivory trading firm called “the company” in Congo, Africa, he describes a scene of two women knitting black wool. The black wool, in this case, represents the imagery of darkness. The older woman is said to possess an “uncanny and fateful” (Conrad 1.24) look. In the novel, Marlow also puts across the thought that the two women were “guarding the door of Darkness” (Conrad 1.24). These two women are not just some harmless old grandmothers knitting baby blankets. These women seem to represent two of the three Greek personifications of fate.
The Greek believed that the three fates are young, middle-aged, and the old. The young one represented birth, the middle one life, and the old one symbolized death. There is also Latin quotation, “Morituri te salutant” (Conrad 1.24). This quote means “They who are about to die to salute you.” Conrad’s use of this quotation highlights the theme of darkness which is represented by death in this case. Additionally, the older woman is used to symbolize the third fate of Greek personification, which is death. Death is …show more content…
The air was dark above Gravesend, and farther back still seemed condensed into a mournful gloom, brooding motionless over the biggest, and the greatest, a town on earth” (Conrad 1.2). First of all, the setting of the sun paves the way for the night. The night is characterized by darkness, which on its own, frightens some people. Additionally, the phrases “dark air,” “Gravesend,” and “mournful gloom” are mostly associated with death and the somber mood it commands. Therefore, the phrases above represent the darkness that is engulfing the said
The symbolism of darkness plays a central role in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. For instance, as Marlow narrates his encounter working as an agent of a Belgian ivory trading firm called “the company” in Congo, Africa, he describes a scene of two women knitting black wool. The black wool, in this case, represents the imagery of darkness. The older woman is said to possess an “uncanny and fateful” (Conrad 1.24) look. In the novel, Marlow also puts across the thought that the two women were “guarding the door of Darkness” (Conrad 1.24). These two women are not just some harmless old grandmothers knitting baby blankets. These women seem to represent two of the three Greek personifications of fate.
The Greek believed that the three fates are young, middle-aged, and the old. The young one represented birth, the middle one life, and the old one symbolized death. There is also Latin quotation, “Morituri te salutant” (Conrad 1.24). This quote means “They who are about to die to salute you.” Conrad’s use of this quotation highlights the theme of darkness which is represented by death in this case. Additionally, the older woman is used to symbolize the third fate of Greek personification, which is death. Death is …show more content…
The air was dark above Gravesend, and farther back still seemed condensed into a mournful gloom, brooding motionless over the biggest, and the greatest, a town on earth” (Conrad 1.2). First of all, the setting of the sun paves the way for the night. The night is characterized by darkness, which on its own, frightens some people. Additionally, the phrases “dark air,” “Gravesend,” and “mournful gloom” are mostly associated with death and the somber mood it commands. Therefore, the phrases above represent the darkness that is engulfing the said