Why congo is called the heart of darkness

The geographical search is comparatively easier than the search of one's self, one's Dark Continent. Both Kurtz and Marlow are in an implied sense in the journey to find their dark region of mind and heart. In case of Kurtz, he cannot hold the mystical and attractive power of his savagery self, his suppressed primitive self and gives in.

He fails to control his moral restraint. He submits to the dark side of his personality and becomes one savage. He reaches to the heart of darkness, but cannot resist its power upon him and he cannot come back from his subconscious state of mind.

But in the case of Marlow, he too travels to the heart of darkness, the subconscious. He reaches there and witnesses the heavy influence of primitive self on Kurtz.

He notices that he has become totally a devil, deviating from his main aim to civilize the savages. Marlow, despite the truth that Kurtz has been transformed into the barbaric self, praises him and is attracted towards him. He has fallen a near prey to the primitiveness. But, amazingly, he does not submit himself to the savagery self of his subconscious.

He reaches to the heart of darkness, witnesses the transformation of Kurtz, and gets to know the irresistible power of barbaric hidden self, praises it and again comes back to the light of civilization. He is so able to control his morality and spirituality.

Throughout Heart of Darkness Conrad uses images of darkness to represent Africa. Darkness is everything that is unknown, primitive, evil, and impenetrable. To Conrad, Africa is the very representation of darkness. Quotes exemplifying imagery within the book. Allusions and foreshadowing in Heart of Darkness. Interpreting metaphors in the novel. While the central story of Heart of Darkness is told by Marlow, a long-time sailor, it is in the form of an anecdote told to an unnamed Narrator , who frames the story with their voyage on the Nellie, a cruising yawl sailing down the Thames River in England.

The two epigraphs to the poem, " Mistah Kurtz — he dead" and "A penny for the Old Guy", are allusions to Conrad's character and to Guy Fawkes, attempted arsonist of the English house of Parliament, and his straw-man effigy that is burned each year in the United Kingdom on Guy Fawkes Night, 5 November.

Why Congo is sometimes called the heart of darkness? Category: books and literature fiction. Joseph Conrad's most read novella Heart of Darkness has double meaning in its title.

One dictionary meaning is that the title refers to the interior of the Africa called Congo. Another hidden meaning is, the title stands for the darkness or the primitiveness that every person possesses in his or her mind and heart. Is darkness a theme?

What kind of person is Marlow? Heart of Darkness. What does the horror the horror mean? What is Marlow's job? What genre is Heart of Darkness? Why is it important to narrate Marlow in the act of telling his story? What does Kurtz symbolize in Heart of Darkness? Imperialism means creating an empire, expanding into the neighbouring regions and expanding its dominance far. Skip to content Why Congo is sometimes called the heart of darkness? Why do the natives worship Kurtz?

What is the Congo known for? What does Kurtz mean by the horror the horror? What does Heart of Darkness teach us? What is the main theme of Heart of Darkness? What is imperialism in Heart of Darkness? What happens in Heart of Darkness? Who is the main character in Heart of Darkness? What does water symbolize in Heart of Darkness? What does Kurtz symbolize? Why do the cannibals not eat Marlow?

Is Kurtz good or bad? Why did Marlow lie about Kurtz last words? Is Congo safe to visit?