Question: What is Marlow's estimate of the cannibal crew in Heart of Darkness?
Ans. The cannibal crew on Marlow's steamboat consists of about thirty black men, whom Marlow appreciates as fine fellows and exemplary in self-restraint. Their primary duty is to push the boat when it gets stuck in the river due to shallow water. Marlow feels grateful and sympathetic toward these cannibals because, although they suffer greatly from hunger, they do not kill the white men on board to eat their flesh.
Marlow wonders why these natives do not “go” for the whites and have a good tuck in.” When enlisted for the steamer's service, they had brought a provision of hippo meat, which, however, began to rot. Consequently, the rotten meat was thrown into the river because it had started to emit a foul smell. Though the natives received weekly wages in the form of three pieces of brass wire each, they were unable to purchase anything en route—either because there were no villages to stop at or because the Manager refused to halt when they did pass a village.
Marlow is struck by the remarkable restraint displayed by the cannibal workers. In contrast to the whitemen of the so-called civilized world, they are characterized by self-control. They outnumber the whites “six to one” and could easily satisfy their hunger with the flesh of any of the whitemen, yet they do not.
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