lighthod Dark Heart of England Exposed in Conrads Heart of Darkness E

The Dark Heart of England Exposed in Heart of sliminess Joseph Conrads novel, Heart of Darkness, depicts events in his personal life and how he came to believe that the European invasion of the African congo needed to end. Joseph Conrad had a boyhood fascination of maps and the white spaces on the African continent. Therefore, when the opportunity was given to him to become the captain of a small steamship on the Congo River, he jumped at the chance. In appendix to Conrads sense of adventure, he also had a curiosity of King Leopolds actions in the Belgium Congo and had a strong desire to witness firsthand the action taking place. After learning his assigned ship was undergoing repairs, he accompanied another crew on passenger ship assigned to bring anchor an ail company agent, George Klein, who later died on the return trip. These events provided the backdrop so to speak of Conrads novel, Heart of Darkness. The character of Kurtz was modeled after the company agent, George Kl ein. Although, Conrad never names the Congo or other significant landmarks, he later admits the book a snapshot of his trip in the African Congo. (Longman p2189). Heart of Darkness is written in the storey frame and Conrad uses the character of Marlow to narrate his story of the darkness of the European colonialization. Marlow narrates his tell aboard a yawl to an anonymous crew. Joseph Conrad became more aware of King Leopolds constitution within the Congo, causing millions of deaths of African natives because inhumane practices. He felt he could impact readers through depicting these horrors in his novel. From this viewpoint, Conrad goes on to build his novel of the virtually the theme of darkness compared to a mans natural wi... ...ntiment of the time that the British were indeed helping these natives by civilizing them to British standards. In conclusion, Joseph Conrad uses the theme of heart of darkness passim his novel to portray the darkness within mankind. He describe s how man has a natural aspiration for superiority and control. Conrad deliberately leaves the locations unnamed in an effort to raise that the heart of this darkness can shift on its axis. (Longman p2189) As Marlow indicates, the journey up river has been a reverse journey as well, a journey back from Africa to the darkness that lies at the heart of an England that claims to be civilizing those whom it is merely conquering. (Longman p2189) Works Cited Damrosch, David, et al., ed. The Longman Anthology of British Literature Vol. B. Compact ed. New York Longman - Addison Wesley Longman, 2000.