Question: To what extent does Conrad appear as a pessimist and a cynic in Heart of Darkness?
Ans. The world of Conrad’s novels is dark and gloomy, and for this reason, he has often been charged with pessimism, a charge which he himself denied. His approach to life and its problems is not nihilistic; rather, it is constructive. He suggests ways and means by which human suffering can be mitigated. The novel Heart of Darkness, however, clearly represents Conrad’s pessimistic outlook on life.
At the beginning of the novel, Marlow comments on the Roman conquest of Britain. While expressing his opinion about the Roman quest, his tone is tinged with sadness, because it involved “robbery with violence,” and violence here means “aggravated murder on a great scale.” History shows that powerful rulers, nations, and communities have always sought to seize whatever they could by attacking weaker men and nations, ruling over them, and exploiting them for selfish gain. Marlow here indicates the imperialism of modern Western nations. Through Marlow, the mouthpiece of Conrad, the novelist, censures the Belgian, Spanish, and British conquerors.
There is also a note of sadness in Marlow’s comments on the two knitting women at the Company’s headquarters in Brussels. They appear to him like the Fates, busily spinning the yarn of human destiny.
Marlow is mentally depressed by the miserable condition of the natives while sailing towards the Congo region on a French steamer. On reaching the Company’s Station, he witnesses a horrifying and deeply depressing sight—six black men chained together, each wearing an iron collar around his neck.
The most pessimistic view of life is projected through the portrayal of Mr. Kurtz, who becomes a savage in the course of civilizing the backward natives of the Congo. He begins to participate in barbaric ceremonies, midnight dances, sexual orgies, and unspeakable rites. He becomes a deity to the natives, and tribal chiefs crawl to pay homage to him. He frequently indulges in the abominable satisfaction of his various lusts without restraint. Even human sacrifices are made under his orders. Thus, the transformation of a civilized man into a devil is profoundly depressing to Marlow. Marlow even feels that if he had stayed there for a longer time, he too would have degenerated and become like Mr. Kurtz—a devil incarnate.
To sum up, Conrad’s view of life as depicted in Heart of Darkness is undeniably pessimistic. However, we should not regard him as an utterly pessimistic writer. Conrad does not suggest that humanity is completely defeated in its struggle against hostile forces; rather, he warns mankind against moral collapse and spiritual degeneration.
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