Fear would then cause order and this is what they advertise to accomplish. They have become accustomed to inflicting pain on the savages and killing them in order to cause fear. However, their way of causing this transformation is extremely savage-like, making the entire situation an irony. The form states how the whites can tame the savages and transform them into civilized human beings. One being the influence the Congo had on Kurtz who before traveling there, was a successful agent for a company that wrote an informative brochure on the so called 'amazing impact whites have on the Congo as a whole including its savages. There are many ironic situations in the novel, one of the two most important ones, regard to the two greater figures in the novel. Irony can be described as something that is said versus what actually occurs or is true. Through the use of symbolism Conrad reveals the truth of colonialism and the influence it has on the whites and minorities, making this work worthy of study in a literature course.Ĭonrad uses irony to uncover the hidden meaning in the Heart of Darkness. All things found in the Heart of Darkness have a deeper meaning than one may initially believe so. The individuals in the novel scour the Congo in search of this for a chance of success and superiority. The novel revolves around ivory, symbolizing the white man's greed. Perhaps one of the most important symbols in this book, one that is not a character but an object, is ivory. The manager, similar to a set of machinery, is empty. Day by day he works like a machine and holds the same characteristics as one as well unable to fear, love, or respect. One of the minor characters in the book, the manager of the central station, symbolizes futility. After some time, Marlow, similarly to Kurtz, begins to show the influence savagery can have on a civilized man and how everyone contains that darkness within them. Once he absorbs something new during his journey, he takes a moment to observe it, analyze the human behavior, and categorize it regarding morals/values. He seeks new knowledge constantly and like a child, curiosity. Marlow symbolizes the spirit one would find in a student. Kurtz hurt others with no remorse as he climbed the ladder of success he had built himself during his time in the Congo.Īnother major figure is Marlow, he too has a symbolic role in the novel. While attempting to train the savages he turned into one himself. Kurtz also represents the power hungry and greedy whites as he leads the savages to do what he ultimately desires, which is to be treated and referred to as a god like figure. For one, he represents the great influence the individuals found in the Congo, referred to as savages, have on the man believed to be civilized and insane. Kurtz, the central figure of the novel, symbolizes many things. As you read the novel, you come to find that the ringmaster of the heart of darkness found within the Congo, is Kurtz. The symbol is something used to insinuate that one has to look below the surface, dig deeper, in order to find the hidden meaning. Throughout Heart of Darkness, How these figurative elements are executed, lures the reader and envelopes them in a novella that reveals the truth of colonialism and the influence it has on the whites and minorities, making this work worthy of study in a literature course.Ĭonrad uses symbolism in an attempt to reveal the truth of colonialism and the influence it has on the whites and minorities For instance, Kurtz and the river, both are more than what they appear to be a man and a natural unit. Ultimately bringing forth, the true meaning of the novella. Joseph Conradr's Heart of Darkness tells the tale of a sailor, a petty trader and commander, as well as a tyrannical company, through symbolic hidden meanings and irony.
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