Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad – Short Notes

Charles Marlow

Charles Marlow, the chief narrator of Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, is a sailor. He narrates his own experiences of travel in the Congo. Marlow is presented as a man of reflection and meditation, with extraordinary faculties of observation and analysis. He is a man of action with a strong philosophical bent of mind and penetrating psychological insight.

It is through his mind and thoughts that we gain an impression of the whites who, despite claiming to civilize the savages of the region, actually satisfy their own greed and their love of power and pelf. Marlow resembles Conrad himself in the quality of much of his experience and in the temperament through which that experience is interpreted.

Although Mr. Kurtz is the dominating character in the story, the narrative is told by Marlow, who possesses exceptional intelligence and extraordinary powers of thought and psychoanalysis. He is the moving spirit behind the whole book. It is through his eyes that we see the Belgian Congo of Conrad’s time, and through his mind that we assess the character and personality of Mr. Kurtz. However, Marlow is distinguished from Conrad both by the Englishness of his character and by the way in which he is characterized through the eyes of other observers.

The First Narrator

There are two narrators in Heart of Darkness. The first narrator, who remains unnamed, merely serves to introduce the other men on board the Nellie, particularly Marlow, who is to be the main narrator. 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 appearance. He adds that Marlow is sitting cross-legged in the posture of a Buddha preaching, dressed in European clothes and without a lotus flower.

Conrad, instead of speaking in the first person, distances himself from the readers by inventing a fictional character named Charles Marlow to narrate the story. Marlow, in turn, is also distanced from the readers through the introduction of another narrator, who is nameless and a friend of Marlow. In other words, there is a double distancing of Conrad from the readers. This distancing is intended to impart objectivity to the novel.

The Nellie

Heart of Darkness, a novel by Joseph Conrad, begins with the name of a cruising yawl, a sailing boat called The Nellie. It was anchored in the estuary of the River Thames. There were five men on board the sailing boat, which was waiting to sail down the river for the turn of the tide. The wind was nearly calm, and the air above the distant city of Gravesend was dark. The atmosphere over the river and in the distance was one of mournful calm.

One of the five men on the boat was the Director of Companies, who worked mainly on land, unlike the others who worked on the river. The group also included the Lawyer, the Accountant, and a seaman known as Marlow.

Marlow sat cross-legged on the deck, leaning against the mizzen-mast. He had sunken cheeks, a yellow complexion, a straight back, and the appearance of an ascetic. Sitting there with his legs folded, Marlow had the posture of a Buddha preaching—though in European clothes. He was recounting how, in his youth, he had sailed upon the Congo River in the African country of the Congo.

Congo

Congo is the name of an African country that encompasses most of the basin of the River Congo. This country has a very narrow outlet to the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the river. It was established as the Belgian Congo under the sovereignty of King Leopold II of Belgium. In due course, the country gained its independence from Belgian rule.

The River Congo is the second-longest and largest in volume among African rivers. It discharges more water into the Atlantic than all other African rivers combined. Heart of Darkness, a novel by Joseph Conrad, is based on his trip as a sailor along the Congo River and his exploration of the country in the dark continent of Africa. The Congo deeply stirred his imagination, and the places he visited became more than mere backgrounds for his story.

In Heart of Darkness, Conrad invented a fictional narrator, a retired English sailor named Marlow, who resembled Conrad in the quality of much of his experience and in the temperament through which that experience was interpreted. However, Marlow is distinguished from Conrad both by the Englishness of his character and by the way he is characterized through the eyes of other observers.

The Aunt / Marlow's Aunt

Marlow’s aunt, whom he describes as a "dear, enthusiastic soul," manages to get him the job of a skipper in the Belgian trading company operating in the interior of Africa. She believes that the white men, who visit the region, are doing a great service to the natives by civilizing them and improving their conditions. However, Marlow does not agree with her view.

Like the Intended, Marlow’s aunt is separate from the darkness inherent in the human world. She lives in a special realm of her own and simply does not understand the real world. This is evident from Marlow’s comments about her. It is her world of illusions that provokes ironic reflections from her nephew on the feminine power of self-deception. She is ironically described as the benevolent, self-righteous, civilized white woman, living amidst trivialities.

She also reminds us of the Intended in her characteristic self-effacement. She seems to exist merely to be of use to man rather than as an individual in her own right. She lives in a world of illusions, which is made clear through Marlow’s irony. She perceives imperialist exploitation as something noble, reflecting her inability to grasp the true nature of colonialism.

The Doctor at the Company's Headquarters

The doctor at the Company's headquarters in Brussels, a pseudo-scientist who examines Marlow, is an ambiguous character. Once he has mechanically performed his official duties, he pursues his private interests in measuring heads. He measures the skulls of those who go to Africa and finds "the mental changes of individuals" interesting for science, though he never sees the agents when they return.

The doctor's peculiar enterprise foreshadows many of the hideous activities carried out in the Congo. We may compare Kurtz's collection of skulls and the implications of cannibalism associated with the natives to the doctor's practice of carefully preserving measurements of human heads, particularly those of men bound for the Congo. Although the doctor's theory involves the changes that take place inside the head, his interest in these mental changes seems meaningless, since the white men who go to the Congo never return—or at least, he never sees them.

The doctor seems to unconsciously, yet ironically, advise Marlow to "avoid irritation more than exposure to the sun" and that "in the tropics one must, above all, keep calm." Perhaps the doctor is advocating restraint here.

Manager's Uncle

The Manager's uncle is aptly described by Marlow as "a butcher in a poor neighbourhood." He is the leader of the Eldorado Exploring Expedition. His physical appearance mirrors his essence: his eyes express cunning and cruelty of all kinds. He has a fat belly and short legs, giving him a comic appearance, but he is, in fact, a villain with secret plans, showing his craftiness in his conversations with his nephew, the Manager of the Company's Central Station.

Upon arriving at the Central Station, Marlow's first task is to raise the wrecked steamer, of which he has been appointed skipper, from the bottom of the river and set it afloat. However, his work is hampered by a lack of rivets. Instead of rivets, the station is invaded by a group of explorers who call themselves the "Eldorado Exploring Expedition," led by the Manager's uncle. In reality, they are a band of rascals intent on looting the land and its inhabitants.

The leader of the expedition, the Manager's uncle, is a cynic without scruples. He assists his nephew in his intrigues and bluntly hopes that the jungle will kill Kurtz. In this way, he serves to foreshadow Kurtz's death, as when he points his flipper-like arm toward the jungle and says, "Ah! my boy, trust to this I say, trust to this."

The Wrecked Steamer

Marlow learned from the Manager of the Central Station that the steamer, of which he had been appointed skipper, had sunk and lay at the bottom of the river. The Manager said that Marlow's first task would be to arrange for the steamer to be pulled out of the river and set afloat. Marlow began working the very next day, though he found his efforts hindered by a lack of rivets, which he could not obtain from anywhere. He agreed with the Manager's estimate that pulling the steamer out of the river and repairing it would take about three months.

During the following days, Marlow observed the Manager's white companions, who were also agents of the Company but had little work to do. At last, the wrecked steamer was raised from the bottom of the river and repaired. Soon, Marlow’s voyage on the steamer—of which he was the new skipper—began along the River Congo. The Manager also accompanied him on this voyage.

The Faithless Pilgrims

"The Faithless Pilgrims" refers to the white men at the Belgian Trading Company's Central Station. The word "Pilgrims" is used here ironically. They are actually Company agents, strolling aimlessly in the sunshine around the Central Station. Each of them holds a stick in his hand and wanders idly from place to place.

The word "ivory" is repeatedly uttered by them, sometimes loudly, sometimes in a whisper. To Marlow, it seems that ivory is a god to them, and they are praying to it. This reveals their lust for ivory. Marlow observes that these white men waste their time in idle talk, backbiting, and plotting against one another.

He notes that they come to the Congo with the high moral purpose of civilizing the backward natives, but they are not faithful to this purpose. They exploit the natives to satisfy their greed for ivory. Marlow even compares these white men to the cannibal crew, who seem, in some ways, more honest than they are.

The Brickmaker

The Brickmaker in Heart of Darkness is one of the "Pilgrims," but he stands out among them as a striking example of their uselessness. He is supposed to make bricks, yet he has been at the Central Station for more than a year, merely waiting for the necessary materials, "backbiting and intriguing" like his fellow agents, who suspect that he is "the Manager's spy upon them." He seems to be in league with his superior and to receive special treatment.

In his hut, there is a silver-mounted dressing case, a candle, an empty champagne bottle, and some African trophies, suggesting that he has already ransacked the land for pieces of African art. He is an aristocrat, but vulgar in both his purposes and the means he uses to achieve them. He wants to become assistant manager, not through merit, but by intrigue, and shamelessly pumps Marlow about his acquaintances in Brussels, feeling threatened by him as much as by Kurtz.

Marlow observes that the Brickmaker is essentially a hollow man and comes to regard him as a "papier-mâché Mephistopheles" (or empty-headed devil). The Brickmaker tells Marlow that Mr. Kurtz is a good painter and the chief of the Company's Inner Station. He adds that Kurtz has close connections with the highest officers, who would surely recommend him for promotion. Thus, Marlow observes, the Brickmaker’s behavior, like his title, is vague and menacing.

The Russian Seaman

The Russian, who looks like a harlequin or clown because of the multicolored clothes he wears, is a young man of twenty-five and a seasoned sailor. Like the Accountant, the Russian is an ambiguous figure. Marlow sees him as a prototype of youthful innocence, who also perhaps has the capacity to recognize the "darkness," while his seeming naivete might prevent him from understanding the diabolic nature of Kurtz.

As a companion of Kurtz, the Russian suggests that Kurtz has “enlarged his mind." He informs Marlow that he is very close to Kurtz and has served him twice during his illness. He also tells Marlow about Kurtz's obsession with ivory and explains that the savages worship Kurtz as their god. The Russian further says that he admires Kurtz greatly, and his devotion is such that he feels jealous of the native woman who serves as Kurtz's housekeeper and so-called mistress. He regards Kurtz as immortal.

The Russian resembles a younger Marlow as an apprentice mariner, which helps explain his ironic existence. He is the disciple who responds to Kurtz's abundant displays of cruelty and obsessive greed with the steadfast conviction that Kurtz is a great man.

The Cannibal Crew

A cannibal is a person who eats human flesh. From Marlow’s narration, we learn that there were thirty men on board the steamer of which he was the skipper. They were cannibals, savage natives, who formed the crew of the steamer. Marlow praises them for their devotion to work and remarkable self-restraint.

The steamer sometimes got stuck in the river due to the shallow water, and these cannibal crew members would get down into the river and push it forward. They were very hungry, but the white men made no arrangement to feed them. The provisions they had brought had already rotted and become inedible. At any moment, they could have attacked the white men, who were few in number, and eaten them, but they did not. It was surprising to Marlow that these cannibals could exercise such considerable restraint.

They were also brave and willing to face any danger. When the boat was attacked by native barbarians, the white agents were frightened, but the cannibal crew remained calm. They even waited for the invaders to come on board so that they could catch them and eat their flesh. In this way, the cannibal crew stood in sharp contrast to the white men.

The Native Woman

In the third part of Heart of Darkness, the native woman appears on the riverbank when Mr. Kurtz is being taken to Europe by the Manager and Marlow for medical treatment. She is the housekeeper of Kurtz's household at the Inner Station and perhaps his so-called mistress.

In contrast to the Intended, who lives in an ideal world of blind devotion to her lover, the native woman signifies Kurtz's passionate involvement with time and flesh. She is equated with the vegetation of the jungle, which stands for truth and an amazing reality that Conrad associates exclusively with the African natives, who alone are full of vitality.

The African woman, adorned with ivory ornaments, is the incarnation of primordial time. She is Kurtz's partner in his plunge into the Satanic "unspeakable rites." She is "savage and superb," wild-eyed and magnificent—a prototype of the primeval, pulsating life-principle that tempts man toward destruction and death. Perhaps Conrad presents her as the finest specimen of womanhood in the wilds of the Congo.

The Helmsman

The helmsman who steers Marlow's steamer is an athlete of black complexion. He belongs to a coastal tribe and wears a pair of brass earrings and a blue cloth wrapper from the waist to the ankles. According to Marlow, he is a hypocrite and has a very high opinion of himself. He steers the boat with great pretension and swagger in Marlow's presence, but in his absence, he behaves as a coward, feeling terrified of the work he is doing. He considers his work extremely dangerous.

The helmsman meets a tragic death because of his foolishness. He opens the shutter of the steamer when it is attacked by hostile savages. A spear penetrates his body deeply, and he dies instantly. He makes a grave blunder by steering the steamer too close to the riverbank, where the savages are hidden behind the trees. When the steamer is attacked, he reverts to primitive and irrational behavior. At this moment, the helmsman belongs neither to the attacking natives nor to the white men who command the boat. It is this uncertainty of identity that leads to his degeneration and ultimately to his death.

"Poor fool," says Marlow, "he had no restraint, no restraint—just like Kurtz—a tree swayed by the wind." Thus, his lack of self-restraint costs him his life.

Ivory

Ivory is the white, bone-like substance that forms the tusks of elephants, used for ornaments, piano keys, and other objects. During Conrad's time, the Congo was valued by Westerners chiefly as a source of ivory. Mr. Kurtz had been sent by a Belgian trading company as an agent to collect ivory and dispatch it to Europe through the Manager of the Company's Central Station.

The entire apparatus at the Central Station, and at other stations as well, revolves around ivory. Mr. Kurtz proved to be the most effective agent, collecting more ivory than all the other agents combined. He does not merely collect ivory; in the process, he develops a personal passion for it. This obsession demonstrates the extreme lengths to which human greed can reach.

Mr. Kurtz often ventures deep into the interior of the Congo in his quest for ivory. Even when he lies ill, he repeatedly asks those around him to safeguard his ivory lest it be plundered. Thus, the collection of ivory symbolizes the greed and commercial mentality of the Western nations.

The Natives of the Congo

The natives of the Congo, unlike the whites, are not detribalized. They belong naturally to the wild, mysterious surroundings of Africa. Marlow quickly recognizes this when he observes a boat being paddled by black men. Physically, they are very strong. It is only when they come under the subjugation of the whites that they lose their vitality and become "grotesque masks"—walking shadows at the station, brutally exploited and maltreated. They symbolize the meaningless work imposed by the white men in the Congo. There is a clear parallel between these "moribund shapes" and the decaying machinery.

The natives also fit into the general symbolic pattern of the tale. While the white man exploits and suppresses the black, the latter retains a nobility and majesty of humanity, ultimately reaping justice by absorbing the white intruder into the "heart of darkness."

Another example of the black man's superiority is evident even among the cannibals. Marlow marvels at the restraint they exhibit despite having been starving for many days and months. This quality of self-control demonstrates that, morally, they are superior to the white men, who are greedy, hypocritical, and scheming.

The Congo River

The Congo River is the second-longest and largest by volume among the rivers of Africa. It discharges more water into the Atlantic than all the other African rivers combined. It follows a long, tortuous course and passes through a series of rapids. Before Conrad sailed on this river in 1890, it had been successfully explored by H. M. Stanley. The Congo is approximately three thousand miles in length.

Geographically, the Congo River serves as a gateway to Africa for Europeans, allowing them access to the center of the continent without having to physically cross it. In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad has Marlow travel upriver by steamer. In this way, Africa is reduced to a series of two-dimensional scenes that flash past Marlow's steamer. Its strong current makes travel upstream slow and difficult, while the downstream flow allows for easy navigation.

Marlow's struggles with the river as he travels upstream toward the Inner Station to visit Kurtz symbolize his efforts to understand and navigate the complex situation in which he finds himself. The ease with which he travels downstream, on the other hand, reflects his acquiescence to Kurtz and his "choice of nightmares."