Justification of the Title – Heart of Darkness

Abstract

This research paper is an effort to justify the title of the novel ‘The Heart of Darkness' written by Joseph Conrad. The novel is remarkable in a sense that Conrad has based this novel on his personal experiences of sea voyage. The story of the novel  is a complex exploration of the attitudes people hold on what constitutes a barbarian versus a civilized society and the attitudes on colonialism and racism that were part and parcel of European imperialism.. The phrase ‘Heart of Darkness' refers to the inmost region of Africa (which was in those times still in the process of being explored) and the black people who still led primitive lives. The title is appropriate for the novel because Marlow has described his experiences of the Congo   and people of Congo. The events at the beginning of the novel and at the end of the novel occur outside Africa, but the major and most significant events of the story take place in Congo and on the river of Congo. The savages in the Congo are evil because of the primitive instincts which dominate them and the civilized men of the white cities have become corrupt because of the vices of civilization. The greediness of the white intruders who aimed only at their material comforts had made the natives in a miserable condition. The backwardness and ignorance of the natives intensifies the atmosphere of fear and mystery. They are white at the heart but the black hearted white people. Heart of Darkness explores the issues surrounding imperialism in complicated ways. The incidental scenery in the book offers a harsh picture of colonial enterprise. The impetus behind Marlow's adventures has to do with the hypocrisy inherent in the rhetoric used to justify imperialism. This novel is an exploration of hypocrisy, ambiguity, and moral confusion. It explores the idea of the proverbial choice between the lesser of two evils as the idealistic Marlow is forced to align himself with either the hypocritical and malicious colonial bureaucracy or the openly malevolent, rule-defying Kurtz.