Throughout Heart of Darkness, Conrad presents us Marlow, a young Englishman. This character evokes many different aspects of racism and imperialism the way he saw it and lived it. Marlow's voyage in the jungle turns out to be an initiation journey. Indeed, he is exposed to various elements that change his way of thinking and reacting to certain situations. He starts out as an ignorant character and quickly becomes aware of the naivety of his fellow Europeans, discovers their cruelty and, at the end, uses all he has learned and decides to stay himself.
To begin with, after leaving from Belgium, Marlow does not know at all what to expect and what he will go through during his journey. He is only a common Englishman who has never been to any exotic places like Africa. From the start, we learn that Marlow is very ignorant about the world. He represents the nave mentalities of Europeans. When he is about to leave the "white city-, his aunt talks to him about "weaning those ignorant millions from their horrid ways- (page 28). This quote clearly shows the ignorance. Throughout the story, Marlow becomes aware of the fact that his fellow comrades are nave and ignorant. Indeed, once their ship, known as "the Nellie-, passes through a cloud of fog, Marlow examines his friend's faces: "It was very curious to see the contrast of expression of the white men and of the black fellows of our crew. but their faces were essentially quiet- (page 69). This passage clearly presents the ignorance of the Europeans, which shows itself through their fear of the jungle. Meanwhile, the natives are aware of the reality they are facing and are therefore not afraid of the savages.
Secondly, Marlow becomes aware of the naiveté of his people. This is the second step in his initiation voyage. He starts realizing that the pilgrims live in a world of dreams and understands the Europeans' mentalities. "Yes, two black hens.