What happened in Chapter 1 of Heart of Darkness?
Marlow recounts how he obtained a job with the Belgian “Company” that trades on the Congo River (the Congo was then a Belgian territory) through the influence of an aunt who had friends in the Company’s administration.
Who does Marlow meet at the end of Chapter 1?
Marlow must wait for ten days in the company’s Outer Station, which strikes Marlow as a scene of devastation. He meets the company’s chief accountant, who tells him of a Mr. Kurtz, who is in charge of a very important trading post, and a widely respected, first-class agent.
What is the significance of the opening scene in Heart of Darkness?
The Nellie Marlow tells the story of his trip in Africa. The opening scene sets up Heart of Darkness as a frame story, with a sailor relaying the story that Marlow tells of his experiences in a flashback. His story goes like this.
How does the Heart of Darkness begin?
Heart of Darkness begins on board the Nellie, a small ship moored on the Thames River in London. After describing the river and its slow-moving traffic, the unnamed narrator offers short descriptions of London’s history to his companions who, with him, lazily lounge on the deck, waiting for the tide to turn.
Where does the story end in Heart of Darkness?
When she asks about Kurtz’s final words, Marlow lies: “your name,” he tells her. Marlow’s story ends there. Heart of Darkness itself ends as the narrator, one of Marlow’s audience, sees a mass of brooding clouds gathering on the horizon—what seems to him to be “heart of an immense darkness.”
What is the main idea of Heart of Darkness?
The superficial themes of the novel are imperialism and cruelty of the European powers. However, the theme of the lack of truth lies at the heart of the text. All the European powers engaged in Africa are occupying their land and plundering resources while propagating it as a civilizing mission.
What is the plot of the heart of Darkness?
Plot Overview. Heart of Darkness centers around Marlow, an introspective sailor, and his journey up the Congo River to meet Kurtz , reputed to be an idealistic man of great abilities.
What is the horror heart of Darkness?
Heart of Darkness The Horror. The Heart of Darkness: The Horror! In Heart of Darkness it is the white invaders for instance, who are, almost without exception, embodiments of blindness, selfishness, and cruelty; and even in the cognitive domain, where such positive phrases as “to enlighten,” for instance,…
Who are the main characters in heart of Darkness?
In Joseph Conrad’s “Heart Of Darkness”,the main character, Marlow, is presented as an outsider and is isolated from the people and the society which surround him. Conrad creates this impression through the use of various literary techniques and by doing this, Conrad conveys an important theme of the novel – isolation.
What is the genre of heart of Darkness?
Heart of Darkness plays with the genre of quest literature. In a quest, a hero passes through a series of difficult tests to find an object or person of importance, and in the process comes to a realization about the true nature of the world or human soul.
