Heart of Darkness

October 17
Pg. 3-11

A: “It was difficult to realize that his work was not out there in the luminous estuary, but behind him, in brooding gloom”

I: The captain is standing in front of three men, and they say his work is in the “brooding gloom.” Does the captain live a sad life? Most probable since he is head away from the light into the darkness.

A: brooding gloom, gloom brooding

I: Once again the same two words come up when speaking of the captain. Although they are in different syntax they still depict the captain as a sad and lonely fellow. I believe the story is full of depression and solitude.

October 18
Pg. 11-19

A : whited sepulchre

I: This is sort of a paradox since sepulchre is a tomb which are usually dark a eerie, but this sepulchre is whited. Maybe he is referring to the darkness that cities withhold and the ability for it to be hidden which is referred to by the “whited” part.

A: “Morituri te salutant. Not many she looked at ever saw her again ..”

I: I believe something tragic is going to happen to Marlow on his journey to the “river that looks like a snake.” Morituri is latin for death, I believe Marlow is going to die. The snake represents evil, I think Marlow is going to an evil river.

October 19
Pg. 19-27

A: “..I felt as though, instead of going to the centre of the continent, I was going to the centre of the earth”

I: Marlow is head to the Congo which is around the center of Africa. I think Conrad uses center of the earth because to make a reference to the period of time in which all of Europe wanted a piece of Africa, especially of Congo. Its natural resources and the enslavement of its people made it a coveted area which everyone wanted.

A: “After all, I also was a part of the great cause of these and just proceedings”

I: Conrad once again, I believe, makes a reference to the justification for the treatment of the natives that the Europeans withheld. It was all for the common good. Maybe Conrad himself is justifying the actions of the Europeans.

October 20
Pgs. 27-35

A: collar, vast cuffs, appearance, demoralization of the land, respect

I: Marlow describe the Company’s chief accountant as a white man with great appearance and clothes; his collar and vast cuffs. He respects the accountant because he can keep civil in a demoralizing land. Marlow instantly feels the superiority over the natives and the land itself.

A: health is power

I: The manager is seen as a powerful man because he’s always in good health. During the invasion of Africa the primary cause of death was disease, health was the root of power.

October 22
Pgs. 35-43

A: wilderness, evil or truth, fantastic invasion

I: Marlow is looking outside and says the wilderness is invincible like evil or truth. Then he mentions the “fantastic invasion.” Is Marlow trying to say that they too are invincible, in his eyes they are most likely truth.

A:”draped blindfolded carrying a lighted torch. The background was somber – almost black”

I: Marlow describes a painting of a woman walking around blindfolded. Black represents evil. I think it ties in with Marlow, up to this point of the novel he’s been walking around aimlessly trying to get his steamboat fix. Although he has something to guide him he walks around surrounded by evil, just like the woman has the torch to guide her and surrounded by black.

Pgs. 43-51
October 23
A: taint of death, mortality of lies, detest about the world

I: Marlow says he hates when people lie because it brings death and bad things to the object. However he is in the Congo, invading a civilization through the lies of European continent. Although he’s benefitting from the lies indirectly, he is benefitting nonetheless.

A: we live as we dream --- alone

I: I think this statement has a lot meaning to the events that were happening in that time period. The people that were invading Africa, usually traveled alone. They knew what they wanted from the land and kept it to themselves. Marlow is the same way. He travels alone until he get a crew, and doesn’t really know what he wants.

Pgs. 51-59
October 24

A: station, better things, centre for trade, humanizing, improving, instructing

I: The two, that Marlow overhears, speak of their duty to make the land “better.” Bring civilization to the savages of the land. They say the trading posts need to be a center for trade and improve the continent. They also need to “instruct” the natives.


A: “Going up that river was like traveling back to the earliest beginnings of the world”

I: Marlow looks at his surroundings and compares it to the times of the beginning of the world. Most likely referring to cavemen and savages that used to roam the earth. Once again Marlow implies that he’s superior to the natives of the land.

Pgs. 59-67
October 25

A: “we penetrated deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness”

I: Conrad finally makes a connection to the title of the novel. I don’t really understand what he’s trying to imply by using the heart of darkness as he goes down the river. I understand that heart implies the center. Is darkness referring to the people? Or does darkness mean evil?

A: “The mind of man is capable of anything ---because everything is in it, all the past as well as all the future.”

I: He compares the chant of the natives to the noise that animals made in the past. Marlow says that that is the beauty of the mind , being able to compare the past with the future.

October 26
Pgs. 59-67

A: beautiful resignation

I: Usually resignation is disappointing and could be considered “ugly” because it’s a sort of cowardice. However, such kind of resignation is considered beautiful.

A: living tree, living bush

I: Marlow describes the bush and the tree by emphasizing its characteristics by adding living. Is it living because there are people hiding in it? Or is he noticing the nature of his surroundings?

November 6
Pgs. 91-99

A: “He declared he would shoot me unless I gave him the ivory…I gave the ivory. What did I care.”

I: Mr. Kurtz is really obsessed with ivory. The guy the follows him around is an idiot for allowing himself being pushed around. He didn’t even care Mr. Kurtz threatened him with death if he didn’t give him the ivory, the Russian still idolized him.

A: “Mr. Kurtz couldn’t be mad. If I had heard him talk, only two days ago, I wouldn’t dare to hint at such a thing.”

I: The Russian says that Mr. Kurtz isn’t going crazy, but of course he would say that. The Russian admires Mr. Kurtz too much to see his “hero” as a such a thing.

November 7
100-108

A: stretcher, natives, bows, spears, arrows, shields

I: The natives protect Mr. Kurtz as if he was part of their tribe. Mr. Kurtz seems like a very powerful man and is greatly admired even by the natives, who outnumber him, plus they have weapons, yet they follow as he was a god of some sort.

A: voice, secrets, mysterious, immortal

I: Even Marlow sees Kurtz as more than a mere human. Marlow says that Kurtz will get better without a doubt because he’s an immortal. Also when he looks at Kurtz in his deathbed he says that he is a man full of secrets and describes his voice as if were in perfect health.

November 8
109-117

A: shook the earth

I: once again Marlow describes Kurtz of some sort of god. Also the event occurring around Kurtz makes him seem all powerful. Kurtz the native attack the paramedics in order for Kurtz to get away.

A: mad, the wilderness, the natives

I: Marlow blames the insanity of Kurtz on the natives and the land. Although his insanity could possibly be caused by the obsession he has over ivory and all of the other resources. Once again Marlow demeans the natives and the land.