Heart Of Darkness Mentality
In the novella “Heart of Darkness” Joseph Conrad compares and contrasts the societies and civilizations of Europe and Africa. Throughout the novella Conrad displays different opinions along with comparisons and contrasts of the mentality, the reputation that is perceived by the people of the two continents and also the differences between the people and their lifestyles. The representation of the African culture in “Heart of Darkness” is considered a dark, mysterious, inhumane continent where savages dwell while worshiping their precious ivory. By describing what Marlow was seeing in Africa as “unearthly, and the men were—No, they were not inhuman” proves to the reader that what Marlow was experiencing was something that was not only foreign
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As Marlow began to watch everyone around him succumb to the greediness of wealth and power, he discovered that all that was left of Kurtz was “The wastes of his weary brain were haunted by shadowy images now – images of wealth and fame revolving obsequiously round his unextinguishable gift of noble and lofty expression.” (Conrad 64). This quote proves to the reader that the darkness of the jungle is actually the deranged mentality that takes place when one becomes so hungry for fame and wealth that they will do absolutely anything to achieve the goal of being someone who is powerful. This is a significant part of the novella and the work as a whole simply because the madness that begins and ends in the jungle becomes known as the “darkness” that is referenced to many times throughout the novella. This madness could be described as something that is a “lightness growing gradually darker,a sense of foreboding that intensifies” (Achebe 3). This quote exemplifies the darkness of not only Africa but also the darkness that Marlow begins to realize not only exists where the savages are but also exists in his own territory of Europe, which shocks Marlow into utter realization that darkness does not always have to be a dark space but it can also be a dark
As Marlow began to watch everyone around him succumb to the greediness of wealth and power, he discovered that all that was left of Kurtz was “The wastes of his weary brain were haunted by shadowy images now – images of wealth and fame revolving obsequiously round his unextinguishable gift of noble and lofty expression.” (Conrad 64). This quote proves to the reader that the darkness of the jungle is actually the deranged mentality that takes place when one becomes so hungry for fame and wealth that they will do absolutely anything to achieve the goal of being someone who is powerful. This is a significant part of the novella and the work as a whole simply because the madness that begins and ends in the jungle becomes known as the “darkness” that is referenced to many times throughout the novella. This madness could be described as something that is a “lightness growing gradually darker,a sense of foreboding that intensifies” (Achebe 3). This quote exemplifies the darkness of not only Africa but also the darkness that Marlow begins to realize not only exists where the savages are but also exists in his own territory of Europe, which shocks Marlow into utter realization that darkness does not always have to be a dark space but it can also be a dark