What is the analysis of Heart of Darkness?

Heart of Darkness examines the horrors of Western colonialism, depicting it as a phenomenon that tarnishes not only the lands and peoples it exploits but also those in the West who advance it.

What is the main source of the text Heart of Darkness?

When Conrad began to write the novella, eight years after returning from Africa, he drew inspiration from his travel journals. He described Heart of Darkness as “a wild story” of a journalist who becomes manager of a station in the (African) interior and makes himself worshipped by a tribe of natives.

What is Heart of Darkness about sparknotes?

Heart of Darkness centers around Marlow, an introspective sailor, and his journey up the Congo River to meet Kurtz, reputed to be an idealistic man of great abilities. Marlow takes a job as a riverboat captain with the Company, a Belgian concern organized to trade in the Congo.

What are the symbols used in Heart of Darkness?

The colors black and white and the buzzing flies are three major symbols used in Heart of Darkness. The color black symbolizes death and the evilness of the Congo River, but it also is used to symbolize good when referring to the black-skinned people.

What are the major themes of Heart of Darkness?

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is a fascinating tale of a journey down the Congo River during the times of colonialism. Its themes of imperialism, greed, hypocrisy, uncertainty, racism, isolation, sanity, and morality make it one of the most important books of the 20th century.

How is imagery used in Heart of Darkness?

Dark imagery is used to describe the London offices of the Company, the wool that the women knit inside it, and the forest that Marlow ventures into. Fog is often described an evoking an ominous feeling of dread, as does the river, which evokes dread and threatens death at every moment.

What is the role of the intended in Heart of Darkness?

Kurtz refers to his fiancée as his “Intended,” and Marlow adopts this terminology to talk about the long-suffering woman who has waited years for Kurtz to return to London.