Heart of Darkness is Joseph Conrad's look into the darker side of human
nature. The book takes place during the European
colonial period
in Africa and shows some of the problems and moral issues that are
involved with this colonization. This classic novel has also had
a wide influence on books and movies that have come afterward.
For instance, the Vietnam War movie, Apocalypse Now has a very similar
story to that in Heart of Darkness.
The narrator of this story is a sailor named Marlow who had previously
taken a job as captain of a river boat in Africa. Upon his
arrival in Africa, Marlow takes note of how wasteful and unnecessary a
good part of the colonization seems to be, including the apparent
ineptitude of a good deal of his employers. Marlow also discovers
that he will need to go upriver in order to find out about one of the
traders, named Kurtz. It is rumored that Kurtz is very ill.
When he reaches the main station in Africa, he finds that the boat he
is supposed to take up the river has sunk, and so he waits for
parts. In the process of
waiting for parts, Marlow finds out more
and more about Kurtz, including that most of the people around him have
a lot of respect for the man. While waiting to fix his boat,
Marlow becomes more and more curious to meet Kurtz. Some of what
is said make it sound as though Kurtz is a highly intelligent
man. He also seems to be finding much more ivory than the rest of
the traders.
When Marlow finally manages to travel up river, he finds Kurtz's
encampment. Kurtz has been trying to convince the natives that he
is in fact a god. Marlow notices such frightening methods as
killing peopel and putting their heads on stakes. it is also
evident that Kurtz is about to die from his illness, even though he
still wants to stay at his encampment. Marlow talks to Kurtz and
after he finds out what Kurtz was attempting to do, the man dies.