Most notably, Chinua Achebe accused Conrad of racism because of his refusal to see the Black man as an individual in his own right, and because of his use of Africa as a setting-representative of darkness and evil.Īlthough it is true that evil-and the corrupting power of evil-is Conrad's subject, Africa is not merely representative of that theme. Many commentators have seen Conrad's representation of the 'dark' continent and its people as very much a part of a racist tradition that has existed in Western literature for centuries. In the cold light of the modern world, he is unable to tell the truth and, instead, lies about the way Kurtz lived in the heart of the jungle and the way he died. Kurtz does not survive the journey back, and Marlow must return home to break the news to Kurtz's fiance. Although Kurtz doesn't wish it, Marlow takes him aboard the boat. He has also taken a wife, despite the fact he has a European fiance at home. When they arrive at the inner station, they find that Kurtz has become a king, almost a God to the tribesmen and women who he has bent to his will. Away from civilization, the feelings of danger and possibility start to become attractive to him because of their incredible power. As Marlow and his crewmates move closer to the place Kurtz was last seen, he starts to understand the attraction of the jungle. This man, named Kurtz, disappeared without a trace-inspiring worry that he'd gone 'native,' been kidnapped, absconded with the company's money, or been killed by the insular tribes in the middle of the jungle. In one instance, he was called upon to pilot a trip down the river Congo in search of an ivory agent, who was sent as part of the British colonial interest in an unnamed African country. This man, named Marlow, tells his fellow passengers that he spent a good deal of time in Africa. A seaman sat upon a tugboat moored in the river Thames narrates the main section of the story.

Heart of darkness