Question: Write on the character and role of Marlow in Heart of Darkness.
Ans. Heart of Darkness is largely a record of Conrad's own visit to the Congo and his experiences there. In this novel, Conrad speaks to us through Marlow. However, we should not identify Marlow completely with Conrad, because there are certain vital differences between the two. Marlow is not wholly Conrad, but broadly, he serves as the mouthpiece of the author. Conrad uses an oblique or indirect method—the impressionistic technique—to bring out the complexities of the human psyche.
There are two narrators in Heart of Darkness. The first narrator, who remains unnamed, merely serves to introduce Marlow to the reader and to acquaint him with some essentials of Marlow's character and personality. Marlow is described at the beginning by the first narrator as a man with sunken cheeks, a yellow complexion, a straight back, and an ascetic aspect. He is depicted as sitting cross-legged in the posture of “a Buddha preaching in European clothes and without a lotus flower.”
Marlow is a superb judge of human character. He can probe deeply into the secret motives of people he encounters. He is also able to explore the subconscious levels of his own mind and express them effectively. He portrays the Manager of the Central Station as “nothing within this man,” addresses the Brickmaker as “papier-mâché Mephistopheles,” and describes Mr. Kurtz as “hollow at the core.”
Marlow gathers extensive information about Mr. Kurtz from the Accountant, the Manager of the Central Station, the Brickmaker, and mainly from the Russian trader. Based on these accounts, he forms a correct estimate of Mr. Kurtz: a man of diabolical nature who has taken “a high seat amongst the devils of the land.” He admires Kurtz for his eloquence and leadership and tends to him during his illness. At the time of Kurtz’s death, he hears him exclaim in terror, “The horror! The horror!” Marlow interprets this as a profound confirmation of Kurtz's moral victory over the evil forces he has confronted. Out of loyalty to Kurtz, he later lies to Kurtz’s fiancée when she asks for his last words, telling her that it was her name.
To sum up, Marlow plays a vital role in the novel as narrator, interpreter, observer, philosopher, and psychologist. Through Marlow, Joseph Conrad projects himself, his vision, and his philosophical reflections on human nature.
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