Question: Discuss the theme of isolation in Heart of Darkness.
Ans. Isolation and its influence on human life constitute one of the major themes of Heart of Darkness. There are two dominant figures in the novel—Marlow and Mr. Kurtz—who vividly illustrate this theme. At the beginning of the novel, we find Marlow talking to a group of friends on board the Nellie. Although he is a member of the group, he is, in one sense, isolated.
This sense of isolation in Marlow begins the moment he departs from Europe. Time passes slowly on the steamer, and he has little opportunity for meaningful contact with the men on board the French steamer. This feeling of isolation deepens as he leaves the sea behind. Marlow is a man who knows the water well, but he is a stranger to the land, which he finds dark, grim, and forbidding. For Marlow, the trip to Africa and the journey up the river are “like a weary pilgrimage.”
Marlow’s sense of isolation becomes very intense when the steamer reaches Kurtz’s station. The pilgrims appear positively unwholesome to him, and in his hope that the cannibals will not consider him one of the pilgrims, he creates a further barrier between himself and the others. Marlow’s isolation reaches its extreme point at the Inner Station. The pilgrims look upon him with disfavour, and after Kurtz’s death, Marlow becomes completely cut off from the party aboard the steamer. This isolation has a far-reaching influence on Marlow, who falls an easy prey to the influence of Mr. Kurtz, whom he describes as an embodiment of evil.
The other major character in Heart of Darkness, Mr. Kurtz, is an utterly solitary figure throughout his career in the Congo. After his prolonged stay there, he shows no inclination to associate with anyone. His isolation is partly broken when he identifies himself completely with the savages and becomes a part of their life. Yet he remains isolated in the context of his Western education and European upbringing. Even while living among the savages, he stands far above them. He is treated as a demigod by the natives and worshipped as their idol. Hence, he remains a solitary figure even among them. Kurtz is isolated from the civilized world in which he was brought up, and he comes under the overwhelming influence of savagery, which transforms him into a devil of darkness. Thus, Kurtz’s isolation is destructive.
Thus, isolation arises from a lack of communication or fellow feeling. Marlow’s experience in the Congo gives him such profound insight that he can no longer communicate effectively with the majority of mankind. He cannot adequately explain his experience or the nature of isolation itself.
إرسال تعليق