Question: Comment on the use of irony and satire in Heart of Darkness.
Ans. Irony is a figure of speech in which the writer or speaker says one thing while meaning something different or opposite. Irony adds sharpness to an observation and is very effective in exposing the vices and follies of men and women. Heart of Darkness is replete with elements of irony and satire. In it, Conrad has satirized the evil of imperialism through the effective use of irony throughout the novel.
Elements of irony may be traced in Marlow’s descriptions of places, things, and people’s behavior. For example, Marlow’s description of the warship firing its guns at the forest without any enemy in sight is ironic. Although the whitemen have brought a lot of machinery into the Congo, much of it lies unused. The warship is merely wasting its ammunition, highlighting the absurdity of the imperialist enterprise.
There is also abundant irony in Marlow’s description of the white agents loitering about at the Central Station, whom he calls “faithless pilgrims.” The irony becomes most pungent when he remarks, “I verily believe they took these sticks to bed with them.” The portrayal of the Manager’s uncle and the Brickmaker, who tries to elicit information from Marlow, is ironic because he wrongly believes that Marlow has influence over the higher officials of the Company.
The greatest irony in Heart of Darkness is the transformation of Mr. Kurtz from a civilized European into a savage. In his early life, Kurtz was a man of sound sense and an enlightened outlook, admired throughout Europe. Yet, after his prolonged stay in the interior of the Congo, he falls prey to the life and customs of the natives. Instead of civilizing them, he becomes consumed by the wilderness, which transforms his flesh and spirit, turning him into a devil. Thus, the exact opposite of what was expected from Kurtz occurs.
The irony is heightened when Marlow tells Kurtz’s fiancée in England that her lover’s last words were her name, whereas the actual last words spoken by Kurtz were “The horror! The horror!” The irony arises from the contrast between what Kurtz had actually become and what his fiancée continues to believe about him.
Thus, irony is used in Heart of Darkness as an effective literary device to satirize and expose the evil designs and hypocrisy of white imperialist rule in a backward country like the Congo.
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