Light and Dark Imagery in Joseph Conrads Heart of...

Light and Dark Imagery in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is a novel about a man named Marlow and his journey into the depths of the African Congo. Marlow is in search of a man named Kurtz, an ivory trader. Though Marlow?s physical journey seems rather simple, it takes him further into his own heart and soul than into the Congo. The setting, symbols and characters each contain light and dark images, these images shape the central theme of the novel. Conrad uses light and dark imagery to help create the setting for the story; light represents civilization while darkness suggests the uncivilized. The novel opens on the deck of a boat called the Nellie, as we are introduced to the†¦show more content†¦The river Thames is the river that brings you into Europe, civilization, while the Congo brings you into the jungle or darkness. Another important symbol in the story is the ivory. The ivory has a two-fold meaning and is a central theme in the novel. Ivory is taken from the tusks of male elephants; they live in a pristine area untouched by humans. However, once the white man places a high price on the ivory, the ivory turns from good to evil. Conrad uses the ivory as a representation of the greed and corruption that is in the white mans soul. In the case of Kurtz this same greed and corruption overtook his soul, and caused his death. Each character has a special role in the novel; Kurtz and Marlow are the most important, through these two characters we are able to see how good and evil balance each other out. Marlow?s journey into the heart of darkness can also be seen as a journey into his own soul. He was in search of the darkest of objects, the ivory. Unlike Kurtz, Marlow was able to withstand the darkness from controlling him. Kurtz soul became the darkness and caused him to forget everything else there was to life. His last words were not that of love but rather of hate, ?The horrors the horrors.? Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is a story about a man named Marlow and his Journey into the African Congo. By reading the novel and understanding all the imagery Conrad has inserted, we can get a better understanding of theShow MoreRelatedImagery, Symbolism and Motif in Heart of Darkness1053 Words   |  5 PagesIn this extract taken from the Novella, Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad explores many elements. Conrad uses a framing narrative; Marlow’s narrative is framed by another narrative, in which the reader listens to Marlow’s story told through one of those listening. The narrator remains unnamed as do the other listeners. The narration is told in the first-person plural, letting the reader know what each of the four listeners are thinking and feeling. 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His fine execution of the tools of the English language allows him to quickly lure the reader aboard the Nellie and not release him until the horror is over. Although t he interpretation of symbols in the Heart of Darkness