In Conrad’s novel, the White man dehumanizes the Black man in the Congo. In order to elaborate on the cruelty of the White men from the Western world, Conrad changes the symbol of white from corresponding to purity, to representing death. The darkness signifies the unknown and the primitive which stems from Western civilization and creates an evil. The darkness conquers the light and does not allow it to expand. In order to emphasize the power of the darkness, even the white becomes an evil and conquers with the darkness.

The novel begins in the Thames River in England. As the passengers of the Nellie become trapped in the river, the passengers marvel in the light that the Thames shines onto the world. Marlow, however, responds: “Light came out of this river…?

In the conclusion of the novel, the water calms allowing Marlow and the others to return to shore. The narrator looks ahead and sees:

Conrad’s rendition of another one of Marlow’s “inconclusive experiences” (11) may turn out not to be inconclusive after all. Conrad challenges the reader to find the heart of darkness that lurks in our very own backyard; to realize that what we claim to be light is merely another form of darkness. British imperialism in the Congo attempted to civilize the Congo when in reality it only transported its own darkness and faults across the seas.

The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed sombre under an overcast sky- seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness (76).

As Marlow continues his journey into the inner station, the heart of the darkness, he notices a painting in one of the offices: “. . . a small sketch in oils…a woman draped and blindfolded carrying a lighted torch. The background was sombre- almost black” (27). In this painting, the blindfolded woman, who represents blind justice, holds a lighted torch that should illuminate the area around her with justice and knowledge. Instead, the background of the painting remains black; the darkness conquers the light that she attempts to shine onto the world.

Just as Marlow realizes that the darkness exists in England and in the heart of Western civilization, the narrator and the reader look into their surroundings, and they too notice that the heart of darkness could be found even in their

Some topics in this essay:
Congo White, Gravesend Marlow, River England, Heart Darkness, White Western, Congo Wilderness, western civilization, heart darkness, Black Congo, Joseph Conrad’s, conquers light, heart western civilization, darkness conquers, thames river, western society, onto world, conrad’s novel, heart western, darkness conquers light, darkness heart,