The first section of the novel establishes the setting well and quickly sets the story up for a misadventure to happen. In the beginning, Charlie Marlow is onboard a ship called the Nellie with four other passengers. Marlow begins to tell his story from six years ago; this story is the bulk of the novel. I think Marlow is a good narrator for his story because as a primary source, he captures the detail of place, building, or person very well, compared to someone who changes and edits Marlow’s story. I also thought the whole concept of the majority of the novel in one huge quotation by Marlow. was very interesting because it reminds me that he is telling the story for his friends not readers. Marlow begins to tell his story when he was a little boy and ever since he was a child he wanted to sail the oceans. This book was set in the late 1800s and therefore, a lot of places of the sea had not been uncovered; as a child Marlow wishes to explore these places. When Marlow grows up he applies to a job that requires someone to travel up the Congo River to observe the chief of the Company. When Marlow goes to visit the doctor, potential foreshadowing can be found. The doctor who examines Marlow for medical purposes, then takes his head measurements for his personal interests of science. The doctor wishes to take the head measurements of people who go up the Congo River to see if there’s a physical change; the doctor also claims that whoever goes up the river doesn’t come back. After this “warning” Marlow still wishes to travel up the river. Since Joseph Conrad took the time to include this visit to the doctor, something could potentially happen later that reflects this event, however, this does tell readers that Marlow is very naïve about his new job.
The section ends when Marlow has seen six Africans chained together walking in the jungle, Marlow then is about to meet the manager and crew of the Company.
The plot has moved very quickly and Marlow’s character has been developed in the early part of the novel as a seaman who has clearly learned from his experience up the Congo River. Marlow seems like the type of person that understands the importance of being conscious and thorough due to the way the unnamed narrator describes him and the way Marlow tells his story. I trust Marlow as the second narrator because he tends to describe every single detail which allows the people on the boat with him to really understand exactly what he saw, heard and felt. This way that Marlow describes his surroundings is key to his character and is a common pattern found in this novel.
The setting changes rapidly in Marlow’s story, from urban areas to the jungle. This book was published in 1902 and it is clear that this novel does not incorporate technology or modern luxuries. This novel has been changed in setting before with the movie, Apocalypse Now. Instead of the novel being set in in late 1800s, the directors of the movie decided to put the film in the setting of the Vietnam war. This setting worked well because the type of conflict that arises could also be found during the time era of the Vietnam war.
The title of this book –Heart of Darkness – can be found as highly profound in the fact that all our hearts consist of some darkness or evil intent. We are all humans and we all experience these types of dark feelings because it is in human nature. I think the line in the book, “ ‘And this also… has been one of the dark places of the earth.’ “ (18) is the core line of this novel because these experiences that Marlow has faced are some of the darkest actions mankind has ever faced. I believe the title is also given to this novel because people tend to remember the bad parts of human history and the fact that we all share a type of darkness can be rooted from deep into our minds and hearts.
The arrangement of ideas in the text follow a frame narrative, Joseph Conrad wrote the story, the unnamed author is then telling the story of what Charlie Marlow is saying about his experience. This whole novel is a flashback from Marlow because he is dictating his story to the unnamed author. I think Conrad chose to tell the story this way because I believe the whole notion of remembering the darkest parts of a person life is more impactful than the present story.
The section ends when Marlow has seen six Africans chained together walking in the jungle, Marlow then is about to meet the manager and crew of the Company.
The plot has moved very quickly and Marlow’s character has been developed in the early part of the novel as a seaman who has clearly learned from his experience up the Congo River. Marlow seems like the type of person that understands the importance of being conscious and thorough due to the way the unnamed narrator describes him and the way Marlow tells his story. I trust Marlow as the second narrator because he tends to describe every single detail which allows the people on the boat with him to really understand exactly what he saw, heard and felt. This way that Marlow describes his surroundings is key to his character and is a common pattern found in this novel.
The setting changes rapidly in Marlow’s story, from urban areas to the jungle. This book was published in 1902 and it is clear that this novel does not incorporate technology or modern luxuries. This novel has been changed in setting before with the movie, Apocalypse Now. Instead of the novel being set in in late 1800s, the directors of the movie decided to put the film in the setting of the Vietnam war. This setting worked well because the type of conflict that arises could also be found during the time era of the Vietnam war.
The title of this book –Heart of Darkness – can be found as highly profound in the fact that all our hearts consist of some darkness or evil intent. We are all humans and we all experience these types of dark feelings because it is in human nature. I think the line in the book, “ ‘And this also… has been one of the dark places of the earth.’ “ (18) is the core line of this novel because these experiences that Marlow has faced are some of the darkest actions mankind has ever faced. I believe the title is also given to this novel because people tend to remember the bad parts of human history and the fact that we all share a type of darkness can be rooted from deep into our minds and hearts.
The arrangement of ideas in the text follow a frame narrative, Joseph Conrad wrote the story, the unnamed author is then telling the story of what Charlie Marlow is saying about his experience. This whole novel is a flashback from Marlow because he is dictating his story to the unnamed author. I think Conrad chose to tell the story this way because I believe the whole notion of remembering the darkest parts of a person life is more impactful than the present story.