Check this out as i now start working on the annotated bibliography

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Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Symbolism is a literature style of using symbols to represent qualities or ideas by
proposing what the idea could signify besides direct interpretation. It prompts the reader to
question the true purpose of the symbol used thus leading to many different analyses. This book
contains a great deal of symbolism. The author, Joseph Conrad, uses Charles Marlow’s study of
the Congo in the book ‘Heart of Darkness’ to explore the events of the late 19th century and early
20th century using symbolism throughout the story. Charles Marlow is an English man whose
quest was to proceed up the long, treacherous Congo River in order to transport Ivory from
Africa to other countries for sale. His story is filled with accounts of many objects that have an
inner meaning. This paper intends to explore the use of symbolism in the novel. It further
extrapolates to realism and characterization use to bring out the plot. Imagination and religion
are the main elements involved in symbolism because quoting Conrad, all creations of literature
have symbolism.
The title of the novel introduces the first symbolic element. The title “heart of darkness”
can be used to symbolize the core of a very dark world. The center of darkness. A very evil
person. The title contains two heavily charged nouns that are used to emphasize and give
foresight on how evil the situation intends to be. Darkness implies infinity while the heart hints
on a finite and solid thing. Using the title, the author prepares the reader find meaning in a
meaningless thing.

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One of the symbols that Joseph Conrad uses is the Congo River itself. The appearance,
shape and movement of the river can hold many interpretations. The Congo River has been
captured as very curved, an imagery technique which likens it to a snake. Snakes are often
thought of as “luring agents of evil”(Ross 149). The men on Marlow’s boat faced many
temptations and evil desires while traveling to meet Mr. Kurtz, a rich business merchant who
needs to transport his goods. One of the temptations the crew faced is cannibalism. With minimal
food supply, hunger dawdles in their stomachs. Marlow wonders how he did not become
someone’s dinner during the situation. Marlow also had to face the wickedness of the jungle,
including the attack on his crew by the natives. The wilds seemed to harbor many secrets with in
its dark appearance. Darkness is captured as a major theme of the story and the river is one of the
places we discover this darkness.
Movement of the river also seems to keep the plot of the story in motion. According to
Harold Bloom, It is the compulsion of the narration to unfold (19). As Marlow and his crew sail
into the jungle, the river flows against them making it difficult for them to travel into the deep
jungle. It is as if the jungle itself resisted their company. Once Marlow got to Mr. Kurtz, and
picked him up, he was ironically able to sail back down the river. Marlow says, “The brown
current ran swiftly out of the heart of darkness, bearing us towards the sea with twice the speed
of our upward progress” (113).
The two women that Marlow stumbles upon at the Central Station are also symbolic.
They are seated quietly knitting black wool. Marlow describes them as, “one fat and the other
slim sat on straw-bottomed chairs, knitting black wool.” They seemed to be typical until the slim
one of them approached Marlow. The most probable interpretation of the two women is that they
represent the Greek mythology of the fate sisters. The spinning of the thread while knitting

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represents a person’s life and when the third sister cuts the thread, a person’s time is up. The
author could have used this to foreshadow how Marlow’s time might be cut short on the voyage.
A thick white fog makes it hard for Marlow to tell where his boat is sailing. The fog
depicts something deeper than just physical fog. It may be symbolic of the uncertainty that
people face when they sightlessly follow someone. In the book, Claude Monet taunts people by
calling them “poor blind idiots who wanted to see everything despite the fog” (Conrad, 71). All
characters try to see beyond the fog. Kurtz foresaw money in Africa, unknown to him that he
would die. Marlow in his foggy foresight wanted to go to Africa but he did not know what the
British were doing there. Fog may also mean the uncertain state of Marlow’s mind. He did not
care about Kurtz at first, but after hearing a few of his stories, he was interested in meeting him.
He says his boat “Crawled towards Kurtz- exclusively” (Conrad 69).” He struggles within
himself because he wants to be like Kurtz. Even though he believed Kurtz was hostile, he still
desired to be a man isolated from irritations of civilization.
Kurt’s mistress is also an element of symbolism. Kurt defines women as the keepers of
naïve illusions. She is described as quiet and patient. She sticks with Kurt throughout until he
dies. In the last scene after Kurt’s death, she is seen to be depressed. It is assumed that she died
later. Symbolically, she can be used to represent Africa. Africa remained open and calm to the
European interference but after they left, Africa was left in ruins, devastation and a lot of
destruction.
The setting of the novel contributes to plot development and it’s changing, places the
audience in the novel and adds to the themes. The first setting is on the Thames, London, where
Marlow is conversing with fellow shipmates. This is where the narrative begins. Marlow’s

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narrative moves into Congo to pave way for the theme of exploitation where Marlow sees a
group of slaves being forced by their company to work. The slaves are also alleged criminals.
Marlow’s role as a steamboat captain is also exhibited due to change in the setting.
The novel’s plot takes to where Marlow’s steamboat sails towards the direction of the
inner station. The theme of savagery is introduced where the situation is described as a different
world compared to London’s trade centers. He observes that, “Going up that river was like
travelling back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation rioted on the earth and
the big trees were kings” (54). Along the waters, the river became symbolically gloomy as if it
was pushing them away from civilization with each paddle. The restlessness that was looming is
emphasized by the thick shrubs that prevents them from seeing anything beyond the river. Later,
the vegetation played a role in depicting the natives as savages because they used it to hide while
shooting arrows at foreigners.
Realism is a literary device that entails vivid, detailed, precise and accurate representation
in art of the visual appearance of objects and scenes. It almost has the same meaning as imagery
and is also called illusionism, naturalism and mimesis. Conrad uses realism to a certain expanse
in his depiction of matters related to expansionism and colonialization. He paints Africa as an
exotic land full of adventure. In the book The Nigger of the Narcissus, Joseph Conrad defines art
as” a methods for offering justice to the visual universe by uniting light to truth" (259). Quoting
Conrad in the book,"Do you see him? Do you see the story? Do you see anything?" (57).
Realism is seen when Conrad insists that the reader sees more than anything else. He lays
emphasis on the seeing by using many adjectives. In the novel, Conrad uses realism to illustrate
imperialism and colonization. He portrays Africa as exotic and a land full of adventure. Chinua
Achebe however disagrees with this in his lecture, an image of Africa (14).

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The novel ‘Heart of Darkness’ has various comprehensive ideas and beliefs that the
writer expresses. Joseph Conrad has repeatedly used same ideas but in their different
presentations. One of the major themes that stand out in the novel is the theme of imperialism.
Imperialism, also called domination, is a strategy of broadening a nation's capacity and impact
through utilization of military power, colonialization or by different methods. In the novel,
imperialism is concealed by civilization. Imperialists force natives on their beliefs under the
pretense of civilization. In the novel, Marlow admits that land grabbing is wrong. While Kurtz is
in Congo acting as an agent of civilization, he gets involved in ivory trade for his selfish benefits.
He also gets involved in offering human sacrifices to appease the natives. Marlow notices human
heads erected in Kurtz’s compound. The state of imperialism is described by Marlow throughout
his adventure in Africa.
Greed and deception ...