Heart of Darkness

Ð''Mise en abyme' is the French term used to describe a story that is told within the bulk of a literary work. Of course, anyone who has read Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" is well aware that the opening scene withholds the main character, Marlow, recounting his journey through Africa to a group of his colleagues. This is a wonderful example of Ð''Mise en abyme,' better known as a frame story. However, I believe that there is yet another frame among this novella, one that cannot simply be read. Conrad uses "Heart of Darkness" to portray his feelings through vast symbolism. I feel that Marlow best illustrates the emotions that Conrad has towards the issue of imperialism during the period in which he wrote this work. Conrad uses this technique to channel his feelings in an indirect manner, feelings which he may have received criticism for by the whole of imperialistic society.

To comprehend the points that Conrad is trying to suggest to his reader, one must understand the man himself. Joseph Conrad was born in 1857 and lived until 1924. Although he was born in modern-day Ukraine, he lived most of his life throughout England, mostly in London and Canterbury, where he is buried. Before his career as an English writer was launched in 1894, Conrad was a skilled seaman that was often caught up in political conspiracy. Conrad's time in which he grew up and wrote "Heart of Darkness" can be best described by Chapter 27 (1850-1900) in Richard Bulliet's "The Earth and its Peoples." This Chapter discusses the discovery and utilization of new technologies that linked people of the world through both transportation and communication while boosting the economy.

Most symbols within "Heart of Darkness" are simple to identify, but the true capability of the reader to see past the text and decipher Conrad's messages determines what these symbols amount to. Representations such as light, darkness, fog, the heart, the river, the forest, the accountant, the mistress, the intended, and Fresleven are all but a few examples of objects in the book that Conrad uses to preach his political emotions to the reader.

One of the main points that I think Conrad is trying to make in this novel is that men of imperialistic nations feel the need to conquer. These men do not know why they are conquering; either that or they believe they are being motivated by reasons which satisfy them, but have no truth to back them up. Conrad implies that their efforts are a waste of time. Men such as the accountant, the brickmaker, and the manager among others are not motivated by greed and an incurable hunger for power, but by their own misunderstanding of imperialism. They feel that by occupying areas such as the Congo they are bettering uncivilized nations. These men have a sense that they are fulfilling their duties as countrymen to improve different cultures of the world, but who is to say how improvement is defined and what needs to be improved upon?

I believe that the simplest way to state Conrad's beliefs on imperialism is best illustrated by the sketch created by Kurtz that is in the brickmaker's lavish room. The oil painting is dark and depicts a blindfolded woman extending a lighted torch out in front of her. The woman is made to represent England (or any European imperialistic nation). The torch represents the "light" that these nations intend to shine over the "darkened" areas of the uncivilized world (which are of course represented by the darkness of the rest of the sketch). The woman is blindfolded because she does not know the purpose for which she spreads this light nor is she aware of the effects it has on her people or the people that she is attempting to change. The light produced by the flame is not one that brightens up the entire picture, much like imperialism. Chartered companies and their workers sent to "dark" portions of the world intend to do so much with such a small light. Their motivation is that they will brighten the entire picture, but they are doing nothing on a large scale. I think that Conrad is trying to say that imperialism is defined by one nation as putting itself on a pedestal and assuming that it is the "light" of the world and that any land beyond their boundaries is theirs for the brightening. But if you ask these imperialistic nations, this is not for their benefit, but for the benefit of humanity and mankind as a whole. So this leads me to believe that Conrad isn't trying to explain what is wrong with imperialism, but he is explaining why the idea of imperialism is inhumane in itself. I say this because again, what is the point of being a "light" in the world if areas that are being brightened don't view themselves as being "dark" in the first place.

Light and darkness are symbolized throughout the novel. When Marlow's steamer is attacked by natives a few miles away from Kurtzs' station, darkness is his biggest enemy. The natives hide in a thick of bushes and the firing of the pilgrims' rifles creates thick clouds of smoke that almost cause the ship to be sent to the bottom of the Congo as it is heading towards a