Marlow as well, shares this naiveté in the beginning of his voyage. However, he soon realizes the extent of his misconceptions. Marlow addresses his comrades on board of the Nellie saying: .
"When you have to attend to things of that sort, to the mere incidents of the surface, the reality - the reality, I tell you - fades. The inner truth is hidden - luckily, luckily. But I felt it all the same; I felt often its mysterious stillness watching me at my monkey tricks, just as it watches you fellows performing on your respective tight-ropes for - what is it? half a crown a tumble - -(p 49) .
What he means is that his friends, going about their respective work, living their civilized lives, aren't even aware of the reality that surrounds them. Their predictable response is "Try to be civil, Marlow- (p 49). Not only are they oblivious to the reality that Marlow is exposed to, but they rebuke Marlow for not being civilized', which is an absolute priority for them. Marlow tries to make his comrades understand the basic difference between living in Europe, and being in the Congo. He states: .
"You can't understand. How could you? - with solid pavement under your feet, surrounded by kind neighbors ready to cheer you or to fall on you, stepping delicately between the butcher and the policeman, in the holy terror of scandal and gallows and lunatic asylums - how can you imagine what particular region of the first ages a man's untrammelled feet may take him into by the way of solitude - utter solitude without a policeman - by the way of silence - utter silence, where no warning voice of a kind neighbor can be heard whispering of public opinion? These little things make all the difference. When they are gone you must fallback upon your own innate strength, upon your own capacity for faithfulness.""(p 70) .
Even though Marlow is unaware of the changes he will undergo in the Congo, there is a profusion of ominous signs as he prepares to start his journey.