Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad - Summary and Critical Analysis - Colonialism and Imperialism In Heart of Darkness - Heart of Darkness as a Psychological Novel

 About Conrad

Joseph Conrad was a Polish writer who learned English in his twenties.(this part will be soon updated, keep visiting for more resources, thanks.)

Characters

1.Charles Marlow: Marlow is the narrator of this novel and in his narrated story, he is the protagonist. Marlow is British and he spent his life on boats to discover and trade all around the globe. In the story, Marlow goes deep into Africa in some trade-related works. In Africa, Marlow experiences many incidents that change his life and thoughts of Marlow. He comes to see the darker side of British imperialism and the effects of colonialism. He realises that there are many similarities between colonialism and the dark-repressed psychology of the human mind. Marlow thinks that he travels to the dark human heart in the form of the heart of Africa.

2. Mr. Kurtz: Mr. Kurtz is the most important character in this novel. He is the in-charge of Inner Station. We see him as a very talented person who can control people with his words. He can influence the people around him. Kurtz has the great ability to lead people. Kurtz also influences Marlow and that influence lasts forever. Marlow's story is all around this guy. Kurtz has mastery over art and music.

3.General Manager: He is the person who controls and manages all the official stations in Africa and is obviously the head of the Central Station. The manager is an expert in his works and has the strange ability to control and command over others. He is the person with whom Marlow sets his journey into the deep of Africa.

4. Russian man: There is the Russian person whom Marlow meets in the station. This Russian person is a sailor and trader. Now he is working as a representative of a Dutch company that has appointed him in Africa. He is young and has a deep attraction towards adventurous voyages. We also see him as the disciple of Kurtz.

5. The Cannibals: Cannibals are the man-eating native people of Africa. They are arrogant in nature. They usually live in groups. When Marlow along with other members went deep into the jungle, the cannibals attacked them. Later we see that Kurtz has respect for these local people and he somehow manages to be their leader.

Summary & Analysis of the novel

Heart of Darkness is a story that is being told by Charles Marlow. Marlow is a British sailor. He is with other people on a boat floating on the River Thames. And Marlow narrates his adventurous journey up the River Congo of Africa.

Marlow was appointed by a colonial company that used to trade ivory from Africa. Marlow had to go into the deep of Africa and he had to meet an ivory trader named Mr. Kurtz. So Marlow started his journey with huge excitement. He was very positive-minded while starting his journey.

But as soon as he reached Africa, he saw the brutality of British Imperialism, ruthless torture on the local people, the slavery system and the misfortunes of the poor people of Africa. The more he went into the deep of Africa, the more he went through the forests of Africa, the more Marlow was shocked seeing these dirty politics to make the native people of Africa down for eternity, and made Marlow disturbed psychologically.

Then Marlow reached the Central Station of his company. During this time, the narrator's interest in Kurtz grew. There had a rumour that Kurtz was very ill, both physically and mentally. So he took more time in repairing the needed steamer. So Marlow and the general manager of the Central Station repaired the steamer by themselves and set out on a voyage to complete their tasks. In this journey, they appointed some of their agents and a group of crew, who were cannibals. They went very deep into the wild Jungles of Africa. The sounds and sceneries of the forests made them amazed and at the same time scared. They hardly saw any local village.

After some time, their steamer reached a local village and found a hut. There was a stack of wood, and it was mentioned that the woods are left for them. The group collected all the woods on the boat and decided to return. Then suddenly a native group of cannibals attacked them. Due to the heavy layer of mist, they could hardly see anything. But the cannibals were attacking them very effectively with arrows. then with the bravery of  Marlow, the cannibals were frightened with the whistle of their steamer. After the cannibals were scared enough, Marlow set to return along with his team. Because they were already very late, they thought that Kurtz was probably dead. After few days, Marlow and his team returned to the inner station and found Kurtz alive but in a very ill condition.

When Marlow and his team reached back to the inner station, they met a Russian man. This person told them the news of Kurtz, he also said that due to his accessibility to the area and its people, Kurtz was able to make a relationship with the native people, and Kurtz thought of himself as the 'God' to the native. When Marlow reached the inner station, he found Kurtz terribly ill. His body had almost lost everything, and perhaps his mental condition was not in a good state either. Kurtz was laid on a stretcher. All the native people surrounded Kurtz to see him. Kurtz gave some instructions to the native, and they vanished into the jungle.

The general manager told to bring Kurtz on the steamer. On the shore, there was a lady who was staring at them, probably she was Kurtz's mistress. Then the Russian man described to Marlow that it was none other than Kurtz who ordered the cannibals to attack Marlow's steamer inside the forest so that they return and Kurtz can execute his own plans, in his own way.

In the night, Marlow saw that Kurtz was missing from the boat, he started to find him. Marlow saw that Kurtz was literally crawling towards the native village. Marlow somehow managed to take Kurtz back to the steamer.

The very next morning, Marlow set off the steamer as he knew that Kurtz's health condition is very critical and they need an immediate medical help. That day, Kurtz gave all his important documents to the safe hands of Marlow and breathed his last. While Kurtz died, his last words were "The horror! The horror!". It is very clear to us that the mental condition of Kurtz was not in a very stable position.

The last part of this novel is very tragic and full of sorrow. After the death of Kurtz, Marlow soon fell ill. Somehow he managed to survive and returned to his own country. After recovering some of his mental and psychological wounds, Marlow again visited back to meet Kurtz's partner. She was very much devastated losing Kurtz. Though it was now a year over, she could not make herself away from the tragic death of Kurtz. She asked Marlow with a deep and broken voice what were Mr. Kurtz's very last words. Marlow felt uncomfortable, he could not say the truth that Kurtz said "The horror! The horror!" Marlow was paused for a few moments and he said that Kurtz in his death bed had uttered your name.

Heart of Darkness as a Psychological Novel

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