Heart of Darkness Critical Paper Essay Example for Free

midriff of Darkness Critical Paper EssayJoseph Conrads legend, Heart of Darkness, is a work of complexity. His stories often represent and suggest more than they say (Skinner). Conrad gives the novel a perplex side through his tactfully written words. This uncomparable language that Conrad uses gives a sense of duality to many phrases in the novel. The double meanings of much of the language that Conrad uses contribute to a reoccurring aspect of the novel, which is that often times thither is far more substance to something than appears on the surface. This theme is played out in the novel through the setting and through the two main characters, Marlow and Mr. Kurtz.The novel takes place right in the heart of Africa, down the long and windy Congo River. The river in the setting is a crucial component of the novel because it brings a sense of darkness. Conrad manages to hint at the darkness beyond the senses and to represent the experience of struggling with the impossibility of existential revelation in various ways, in basis of both content and form, because not only does he describe the rivers topography, but also describes the river as having a mind of its own (Skinner). When describing the river, Conrad writes, the long stretches of the watercourse ran on, deserted, into the gloom of everywhereshadowed distances(Conrad). This description of the river creates an image of a vast and gloomy river. However, Conrads use of personification gives the river a personality, as if it is vulnerable to the dark surroundings that its engorged within.In the novel, Marlows spoken words also possess a sense of duality. On the outside, Marlow seems like a composed gentleman, who takes little deliberate for emotions. He speaks in a matter of fact manner, describing everything that he sees in its purest form. When conveying his thoughts about Kurtz he says ,He was just a word for me. I did not see the man in the name any more than you do(Conrad). Marlows description of Kurtz at first seems merely a real statement, but it means more than that because there is what is not said because it is merely left unstated (Skinner).The understated nature of his words suggests that Marlow is struggling to compress everything that he feels about Kurtz into a sentence. Furthermore, when Marlow says, I will be loyal to the nightmare of my choice, the reader obtains two meanings from his words (Conrad). On the exterior, Marlow simply means that he will not betray Mr. Kurtz, but on the interior, he is trying to express that he will not let go of the desire that he had to meet Mr. Kurtz, even though the experience strayed far away from his original expectations.Conrad also uses Mr. Kurtz to showcase his way of writing phrases that contain different depths of meaning. Mr. Kurtz is an individual who unknowingly lost sight of his own self because of the heart of darkness in which he is enwrapped. He is unable to blatantly express how his greed and feelings of super iority over the natives have tarnished his character. Therefore, Conrad gives depth to the words that Kurtz speaks, to allow the reader a glimpse into Kurtzs heart, without needing to have Kurtz deliver his personal sentiments.Towards the end of the novel when Kurtz cries, save me he literally is pleading for the salvation of his ivory, but figuratively, its a plea for someone to save his soul. The Horror The Horror are Mr. Kurtzs notorious furthermost spoken words. On the surface, these words may appear to be describing the face of death, but it seems plausible that Kurtzs is instead horrified with himself for the way he has so cruelly treated the natives, and that abominable images of the natives oppression are flashing before his eyes.The duality in meaning of Conrads words not only contributes to the complexity of the novel, but also helps to develop the setting and the characters. Conrads unsaid dialogue and narrative hint at layers of meaning beyond what is read, and Conrads pellucid and implicit insistence on mysteries beyond words emphasize the unsayable(Skinner). These techniques that Conrad uses allows the novel to transcend past a simple narrative.(Singer)