Heart of Darkness Imagine being stuck on a steamboat outnumbered by the other, who happen to be starving, unable to advance through the unnerving scream filled fog. This enigmatic experience is only one of many told by Marrow In the story of his Journey up the Congo. Marrow is attentive to the restraint shown by the black slaves on his boat In fighting off the hunger that weakens them.
The colleagues of Marrow are more concerned with the anonymous screams of “Infinite desolation” (Conrad 35) ushered room the fog then with the present danger of having these same savages with them on the boat. Moreover, this revelation challenges the fear of the unknown. Though the starvation of the black slaves Is evident, and should be of great concern to the sated men of the boat, the fear of the faceless clamor suppresses the conscious. It Is a mystery to Marrow why the slaves refrain from allowing the primitive hedonistic nature of hunger to run its course.
In a brief moment he is dazzled by slaves restraint, they are acting more civilized than his colleagues are in the face of danger. Marrow considers this fact to be “… Like a ripple on an unfathomable enigma, a mystery greater?when I thought of it?than the curious, inexplicable note of desperate grief in this savage clamor that had swept by us on the river-bank… (Conrad 38). As a ripple alters perception Marrows ability to make sense of humanity is in constant transformation. The imperialism of Africa is subject to grand interpretation, for Marrow it near impossible to comprehend.
A symbol of the white conquest of Africa is displayed as “the foam on the depths of the sea” (Conrad 38). Moreover, Africa is equally foreign to white people as the depths of the ocean; only the exterior can be discerned. Throughout the story Marrow is constantly challenged by the “unfathomable enigma”(Conrad 38) that is the imperialism of Africa. The madness of imperialism as a theme is best conveyed in this excerpt. Marrow is PRI’. Y to the madness that surrounds him but is unable to classify it; this lack of understanding proves the absurdity of the Company’s conquest.
Similarly to savages behind the fog imperialism has run rampant of all structure, the scruples of the Nor are greatly conflicted. Though a short excerpt it encompasses the Heart of Darkness completely; Joseph Conrad offers a critique on the madness behind white mans condition to impose influence on that which they can’t understand. Work Cited Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. New York: Dover Publications Inc, 2009. Print Pikes 3 November 2013 experience is only one of many told by Marrow in the story of his Journey up the Congo.
Marrow is attentive to the restraint shown by the black slaves on his boat in unconcerned with the anonymous screams of “infinite desolation” (Conrad 35) ushered the starvation of the black slaves is evident, and should be of great concern to the sated men of the boat, the fear of the faceless clamor suppresses the conscious. It is mystery to Marrow why the slaves refrain from allowing the primitive hedonistic Conrad 38). As a ripple alters perception Marrows ability to make sense of humanity madness of imperialism as a theme is best conveyed in this excerpt.
