Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, is a novella which explores the true nature of human beings, and the deterioration of morals and sanity in a remote environment. Heart of Darkness This transformation of the human psyche is set up by the author in the rawest form, by setting the environment of the story in the deepest unexplored regions of Central Africa, via the Congo River. Being one of the areas furthest from civilisation, Conrad provides the perfect catalyst for us to witness the sanity of humans rapidly withering away.
Heart of Darkness? protagonist, Marlow, is initially depicted as a wise, mentor-like figure, as he shares the stories of his time in Africa to his boatmates. By exposing us to the result of his journey to us in the opening scenes, we see the contrast of his demeanour from past to present, and grasp the dramatic change of Marlow as a character. Also, when Marlow's story begins in Heart of Darkness, he is depicted as an eager and even inexperienced person, in terms of his knowledge on the dangers of subjecting himself to the darker, possibly truer, side of human nature. He is dragged into The Company by the naivety of his Aunt and her hopes of Marlow,bringing light into the darkness?. And without too much hesitation, Marlow leaves to see Kurtz, the head of The Company, and also the antagonist of the story.
Marlow first begins to start discoveringthe darkness? during his journey aboard the French steamer to The Company's central station. Firstly, Marlow is told before his journey begins that Kurtz, a once seemingly respectable figure, has gotten ill, and as a result, lost his mind. Whether no realises it or don't want to mention it, the fact that his insanity may have something to do with the conditions of his environment is not mentioned to Marlow. .
From the report on Kurtz's condition and amongst other brief descriptions of the Stations, Marlow receives uneasy thoughts about going into Africa, and he says to himself as they set off,It felt as if I was about to set off for the centre of the Earth?.