Heart of Darkness, a novel written by Joseph Conrad, tells the story of a character named Marrow, who Is recalling his Journey to Africa down the Congo River to a group of seamen on a boat. The story Is being retold by an unknown figure that people refer to as the narrator. Joseph Concord’s characters are constructed around the ideas that were present In society when the novel was written. Characters such as Kurt and Marrow are created to be naive and to allows action to be the truest medium to characterize the cast in Concord’s novel.
Shortly after being introduced to Marrow, we cover that he is adventurous through his desire to travel to the centre of Africa because it’s simply uncharted on both the map and in his mind. He acts as a guide for the reader. This Is a very daring nature and It Marrow’s adventurous and daring nature is evident to readers when he ventures to rescue Kurt after he goes far into the grass to take him back to safety. Marrow Is in many ways a traditional hero: perceived to be tough, honest, an independent thinker, and a capable man.
He is highly skilled at what he does- work Is a distraction for helm_ Marrow can be read as n extreme of Kurt, as they share the same mind set and the beliefs of the company. While visiting the company. Marrow witnesses events that are counted as life changing- he sees the slaves of Africa being mistreated, and sees how life is different for people in Africa due to the lack of Jobs and poor treatment. The events Marrow witnesses in the heart of Africa change him from a naive man too man that becomes open minded and even remotely powerful.
Even though Marrow does not die, unlike the men of the company that focus only on the money at hand, but he suffers horribly. He begins to be almost contaminated by his memories of his journey. Plagued by the death of the man he was eager to meet, a man by the name of Kurt, Marrow begins to have memories and lies play through his head, and begins lying to people to ensure that they are happy. Later In “Heart of Darkness,” the reader concludes that Marrow is compassionate because when he enters the Outer Central and witnesses the ruthless downfall of the African population, he kindly offers a cookie to one of the afflicted.
This action shows Marrows emotional side, and his astonishment Is a view of his Innocence. During the novel. Readers learn that Marrow is patient and readers learn that he is curious as well, fixated on Kurt, who is all but a voice In Marrows head, showing a simple Judge of character, allowing readers to see the link between the two characters. Marrows characteristics, such as compassion and innocence, enable readers to see that he is Just a leading role and allows readers to sympathize with him and what he has been through and witnessed.
Kurt resembles the stereotypical “evil genius”, for he has all of the knowledge and the power and ability to do well by the people, but chooses to do the alarm opposite. Kurt is the owner of all of the ivory harvested by the company in Africa, and Is described to look Like a piece of Ivory too; his head like a ball, an Ivory ball, with an ivory face. This is showing that Kurt resembles the ivory he is harvesting. He Is significant for his style, eloquence and megalomaniac scheming. Kurt is a god like figure to the men of Africa.
Described as a supposedly seven foot man, his name means ‘short’ In German, HIS god-Like height Is mitigated by his name. 1 OFF not so much a fully realized individual as a series of images constructed by others for heir own use. The main image that is given to readers of Kurt is that of his voice. Marrow begins to describe how he is Just a voice, almost as if he is a figment of his imagination, too good to be true. “The man presented himself as a voice,” Marrow says. The voice that is described could very much describe the connections between Marrow and Kurt.
Kurt is represented as style over substance, whereas in fact, style does not over ride substance, and that Kurt lacks in substance. Kurt gets referred to as being ‘hollow by Marrow more than once, and this could be due to Conrad ring to imply that a powerful figure can be lacking in substance and is not Worthy of contemplation’. This lack of substance allows Kurt to function as a choice of nightmares for Marrow, mainly due to his powerful figure and the idea he is Just a ‘Choice, making Marrow seem insane.
Readers could argue that it is Kurt that is responsible for the suffering that Marrow experiences and this is due to the constant v’ice in Marrows head of this powerful and unknown man. There are no people in the story that actually know Kurt personally, not even his own fiance© or cousin. Here is a double contrast that occurs when Kurt is described as a great musician by his cousin and a great humanitarian and genius to his fiance©, so this positions the reader to feel as if Kurt had more than one life, so to speak.
Through the entire novel, up to and after his death, Kurt stays with the reader and Marrow, as Just a v’ice perceived by Conrad. For the most part, Heart of Darkness is a tale of men. The majority of the characters are men, and the tale that Marrow tells is recited to an all male audience. But despite the tale being mainly about men, women do play an portent role. The European women in the Congo are almost ‘silent strategists’.
En Marrow arrives at the office of the company in Africa, he encounters two Omen knitting black wool, and seem to know everything about him and the other men in the tale. Marrow describes them as ‘guarding the doors of darkness’, which is symbolic of guarding something to prevent the darkness from entering. These Omen offer a kind of permission for Marrow to continue his Journey. The woman No serves the opposite purpose is Kurt’ intended, his fiance©. It is suggested that is intended is the reason that Kurt traveled to the Congo in the first place.
As well as his intended, Kurt has another woman in his life, and as she emerges out of the forest after Kurt has died, Marrow describes this native woman as being savage and superb, wild eyed and magnificent, stating that she is both horrifying and spectacular. There is no direct evidence that says she is in relations with Kurt, but the reader is positioned to assume this, as she arrives at the end of his life, as if to tell readers that they were together. She is the very opposite of his intended.
His intended mourns the death of Kurt at home, whereas this native woman who is assumed to be Kurt’ mistress is there in the wilderness with him before he dies. Even though the majority of the story is based on men, it would not be possible Introit women present in it. The characters in Heart of Darkness are constructed through different ways, and by creating such strong messages and symbolism behind the characters, the reader is positioned to view each character differently, and even sympathize with some of them due to the sufferings they have endured.
