Implications of Darkness in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad explores the different subtexts of the concept of darkness while enduring life on the Congo River. Marlow, Conrad's alter-ego protagonist, leads a journey deep into the heart of South Africa while battling both physical and psychological tasks. He narrates the accounts of his trek to his fellow sea-goers, highlighting the term darkness in many instances; each reference, however, leaves a myriad of inferences open to interpretation. Conrad's implication of darkness throughout the text is not conclusive but rather suggestive, but one can draw many different conclusions through contextual clues.

Conrad's character of Marlow offers a taste of foreshadowing when he recounts first arriving on his journey. Two callous old women sit and knit black wool, "guarding the door of Darkness" (Conrad, pg 26). In this sense, Marlow perhaps offers that his voyage is likely to be akin to hell, or that the depths he is about to journey through are dark and dismal. Another instance occurs as the Eldorado Expedition peddles through, and as one man gestures to the forest, Marlow recalls that his hand pointed to "the profound darkness of [the Congo's] heart" (pg 58.) In this instance, Marlow seems to be referring to the forest as a living creature with sinister intentions. To suggest a "darkness of heart," such as the title implies, creates the sense that the jungle is alive, brimming with evil creatures and deep, dark secrets.

Other instances in the book lead to different conclusions. When Marlow informs the crew that they should remain immobile when others are pressuring him to lead on, he tells them that it is safer to stay put than to wander into the darkness. Here, darkness might symbolize the fear of the unknown, as Marlow does not want to encounter any treacherous sailing due to unknown territory. Many instances of darkness also tend to infer the stark line between the Europeans and the natives. While Marlow was white-skinned, the natives were known to be "dark;" again, the concept ties into fearing what is not familiar.