Heart of Darkness

In Conrad's Heart of Darkness the author reveals the theme of mans natural inclination toward savagery by using diction and imagery. The author's descriptive detail paints a picture of an unfriendly and dangerous environment populated by uncivilized natives as the party makes its way into the interior of Africa on the Congo River. Throughout the second part of this story Conrad is developing the theme of civilization being left behind as the Jungle grows dark and the party is attacked by native Africans. The men are entering a new world where the rules of the society they know do not apply and the dark side of human nature is being revealed.

Marlow describes the strange world of plants, animals, and silence they encounter as they go up river in these terms, "It was the stillness of an implacable force brooding over an inscrutable intention. It looked at...
[ View Full Essay]