Heart of Darkness Group at eNotes

"Heart of Darkness" surely has its depressing moments. It is a journey...

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 17:18:55 PST

"Heart of Darkness" surely has its depressing moments. It is a journey of discovery and what Marlow finds is not "positive" according to twenty-first century standards. But it's not just a dark and depressing novel. Conrad wrote in his preface to "The Nigger of Narcissus" “Art itself may be defined as a single-minded attempt to render the highest kind of justice to the visible universe, by bringing to light the truth, manifold and one,...

I would have to say no, "Heart of Darkness" was not just a...

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 17:04:37 PST

I would have to say no, "Heart of Darkness" was not just a dark and depressing novel. The main reason for this is that I don't find it a depressing novel at all. Dark? Yes, absolutely. It explores the darker side of the human heart well, and looks at some pretty bleak aspects of humanity. However, this novel is far from depressing, and the reason is the suspense and the character portraits. As I read, I was intrigued to learn what...

Was "Heart of Darkness" just a dark and depressing novel? Or were there...

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 15:58:54 PST

i have to write 500 words on this by the 29th so i really could use some insight or thoughts to get me started! thanks!

Even as a child Marlow was fascinated by the "blank spaces" on...

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 09:56:56 PST

Even as a child Marlow was fascinated by the "blank spaces" on maps, areas that hadn't been explored. He yearned to visit those exotic lands. As the blank places are explored and mapped, the maps become darker. Symbolically, Conrad is depicting the negative effects of European colonialism. The exploration, for instance, done in Africa was motivated because of a desire for ivory and rubber, not merely a pure curiosity about the land...

They are indeed "a motley crew":'Marlow's steamer...gets fixed...

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 09:06:21 PST

They are indeed "a motley crew":'Marlow's steamer...gets fixed and he and his party start heading up river to retrieve.... whatever ivory is at the Inner Station. On board are Marlow, the manager, several employees of the Company, and a crew of approximately twenty cannibals.'The "Company" in question is a trading company of "good reputation" but in truth decadent in its exploitation of the Congo and its people....

What are 9 specific details that point to the futility of the European...

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 17:43:07 PST

What are 9 specific details that point to the futility of the European presence in africa?

The Russian Marlowe met on his travels said this about Kurtz, early in...

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:39:38 PST

The Russian Marlowe met on his travels said this about Kurtz, early in Chapter 3.

What significance lies in Marlow's references to maps? How do they...

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:24:31 PST

What significance lies in Marlow's references to maps? How do they represent the novella's frequent opposition between light and darkness?

The Russian Marlowe encountered on his travels says this, speaking of...

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:38:28 PST

The Russian Marlowe encountered on his travels says this, speaking of Kurtz.

In "Heart of Darkness" who says ''He made me see...

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:26:55 PST

In "Heart of Darkness" who says ''He made me see things-things?"

The Russian, also known as the harlequin because of his clothing, makes...

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:25:32 PST

The Russian, also known as the harlequin because of his clothing, makes these remarks in a conversation with Marlow when Marlow is asking about the heads on stakes at Kurtz's compound. The Russian, whom Conrad describes as "Kurtz's last disciple," declares that those heads belonged to "rebels"; Marlow is nevertheless appalled at the savagery and makes it clear he does not idolize Kurtz as the Russian does. The harlequin...

Who said, "I! I! I am a simple man. I have no great thoughts. i...

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:18:03 PST

Who said, "I! I! I am a simple man. I have no great thoughts. i want nothing from nobody. How can you compare me to...."

Who said, he would "forget himself amongst these people....forget...

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:02:47 PST

Who said, he would "forget himself amongst these people....forget himself."

On a more literal level, the drums attest to the presence of a primitive...

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:10:24 PST

On a more literal level, the drums attest to the presence of a primitive people not yet under the control of "civilization." As they 'speak their own language,' so they also live by their own rules. Even so, their vulnerability to the white man's influence and conviction of his natural superiority eventually lead them into a deeper degree of barbarism than they have ever known before.On a more symbolic level, the drums symbolise the...

Phrenology was an acceptable science of the time which determined a...

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 10:40:58 PST

Phrenology was an acceptable science of the time which determined a person's character profile (and eventual criminal or regressive tendencies) by analysing the shape and irregularities of his skull. From enotes:The doctor who measures Marlow's head prior to his departure for Africa warns him of changes to his personality that may be produced by a long stay in-country. Prolonged silence and solitude are seen to have damaging effects...."...

There are several symbols that achieve a larger significance beyond the...

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:43:06 PST

There are several symbols that achieve a larger significance beyond the literal meaning of the text. Many of these symbols attach a moral dimension to an image or object. For example, the "darkness" and wildness of the deep jungle also alludes to the depraved state of man's heart. The river journey is a literal journey, but it also symbolizes Marlow's journey into a deeper understanding of Kurtz and his motives. The ever-present fog...

The journey upstream the Belgian Congo starts off as an adventure story...

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:28:35 PST

The journey upstream the Belgian Congo starts off as an adventure story well enough but soon becomes one man's search for truth and his ultimate disillusionment of imperialism and its "values": Hypocrisy is a salient theme in Heart of Darkness. Marlow's account repeatedly highlights the utter lack of congruence between the Company's rhetoric about "enlightening" the natives with its actual aims of extracting ivory, minerals...

What sort of symbols are there in "Heart of Darkness" that...

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 08:29:47 PST

What sort of symbols are there in "Heart of Darkness" that contribute to larger themes in the novel?

The forest seems to be moving. This is probably caused by the movement...

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:04:28 PST

The forest seems to be moving. This is probably caused by the movement of the natives who have been sent by Kurtz to stop Marlow's visit. They keep following the boat until they see a chance to attack it when vision is obscured by fog. The attack kills the helmsman but does not prevent Marlow's visit to Kurtz.

This quote was said by a young Russian man whom the main character,...

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:28:36 PST

This quote was said by a young Russian man whom the main character, Charles Marlow, meets on a boat on his was to Kurtz's station in the Congo. He is referring to Kurtz in the quotation.