The Visions of Light Vs Darkness When Joseph Conrad composed Heart of Darkness he created a literary masterpiece which embodied the essence of light contrasting with darkness. ... (Crankshaw 34) In Heart of Darkness Conrad makes the reader "see- by absorbing into every aspect possible of the book images of lightness and darkness. The light and dark images of the novel contrast not only each other but them selves allowing the reader to envision the struggle one encounters once they have met with the darkness in their heart. ... The physical setting of the novel plays a major role in the journey...

• Word Count: 4389
• Approx Pages: 18
• Grade Level: High School

Heart of Darkness opens on a boat called "Nellie." ... Since he was a child, Marlow dreamed of venturing into the dark places on maps. ... Marlow wonders if the trip to hear Kurtz is worth the life of the black helmsman-a notion that would have been unthinkable to him had he not made this journey into the "heart of darkness." ... According to Marlow, Kurtz has been overtaken by the wild darkness. ... Bobbing about on the Thames, the narrator spies incoming clouds and remarks that even the river upon which they now sit flows "into the heart of immense darkness." ...

• Word Count: 4309
• Approx Pages: 17
• Grade Level: High School

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. ... The cruelty and squalor of imperial enterprise contrasts sharply with the impassive and majestic jungle that surrounds the white man's settlements, making them appear to be tiny islands amidst a vast darkness. ... Unlike those who truly confront or at least acknowledge Africa and the darkness within themselves, Marlow does not die, but unlike the Company men, who focus only on money and advancement, ...

• Word Count: 3088
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The Condition of Man in The Heart of Darkness and The Lord of the Flies "Man is a fallen being. ... In his book The Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad explores man's inner darkness as he travels through the Congo in search of another trader named Kurtz. ... The stories The Heart of Darkness and The Lord of the Flies, through their dark, hopeless, and horrible descriptions of life, present the common theme that man, at his heart, is an evil, violent, and "fallen- being. ... "Ralph wept for the loss of innocence, the darkness of man's heart -. ... Contemporary developments in world p...

• Word Count: 4223
• Approx Pages: 17
• Grade Level: High School

Conrad's novel, Heart of Darkness, is a complex narrative that challenges the reader on several levels. ... Marlow starts his tale at sunset, and as his story gets gloomier, so the evening grows gradually darker. ... Marlow begins to feel the touch of Darkness even more on his trip overland to the Central Station. ... The wilderness - the darkness - grows on him. ...

• Word Count: 4081
• Approx Pages: 16
• Grade Level: High School