Heart of Darkness in Relation to its Title Essay - 1360 Words

The Parallel meaning of the novella with its title- Heart of Darkness The title, Heart of Darkness, aptly chosen, can be very strongly linked to the novel. IT can be used to describe Joseph Conrad’s views on civilization, the individual mind and the land into which he ventures. These sum up his opinions on the bourgeoise society, uncivilized society and the faults of human nature, linking them to the land under one common theme and thus establishing the title. ‘Heart of Darkness’ can most noticeably describe Marlow’s journey into the heart of the land. A dominant symbol in the novel is of the river- the snake- â€Å"But there was in it one river especially, a mighty big river, that you could see on the map, resembling an immense snake†¦show more content†¦Surrounded by dark jungle and distant mist, he knows his journey will be a blind one, one where he is new and possibly unwelcome. Also, by saying he felt he was headed towards the center of the earth rather than the continent, he refers to the earth’s core, where in religion and folklore hell resides. With this, all he knows about his impending journey is that it will be a voyage into chaos and, ultimately, death. Where the setting depicts heading into the heart of darkness, one can only begin to grasp the relationship of inside to outside, of hell to the norm. This is even existent in civilization as well as individuals, who are hosted and somewhat intensified by Conrad’s use of the land. Although Conrad wrote this novella before the psychological era of Freud (and in some cases Jung), the two shared many similarities. Relating to the phrase â€Å"Heart of Darkness,† Freud believed everyone was born primitive, and in some senses, there is always a primitive aspect waiting to be shown, being covered up in a constant struggle to keep it locked away inside. This could be called their ‘heart of darkness,’ and can be seen in three keyShow More RelatedEssay on Heart of Darkness1208 Words   |  5 PagesJoseph Conrads The Heart of Darkness is a dark and haunting tale about the search for a substantial and mysteriously powerful man named Mr. Kurtz. Heart of Darkness centers around Marlow, a sailor and also narrator of the novella. Throughout the work, Conrad uses an array of literary devices to suggest his style of writing. The title of the work itself, The Heart of Darkness, is an example of the use of metaphor. Darkness is a significant part of the books title conceptually. However, it isRead MoreJoseph Conrad s Heart Of Darkness1120 Words   |  5 PagesJoseph Conrad is the writer of the short story Heart of Darkness. He was born in Ukraine where he learned English. For over fifteen years he worked as a sailor and this lead him to become a writer. 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