Throughout history, women have often been relegated to banal and humiliating roles. From one perspective, the women in Heart of Darkness appear to have much more power than traditional roles allow. For example, Marlow's aunt has significant influence within the Fellowship as she is able to get Marlow a job and the native mistress has a dominant presence within her tribe. Upon closer examination, however, the male patriarchal view of women in society, specifically that of Marlow and Kurtz in the book, limits the importance of women. In the novel, women are seen and treated in only two ways: inferior to men and ignorant of reality, despite any air of importance they may display. Thus, although women appear superficially important in the novel, their roles are actually constrained by their male counterparts. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Marlow's aunt is the first woman readers see. She initially seems like a significant character as Marlow turns to her to find him a job. Marlow's aunt knows "the wife of a very high person in the Administration, and also a man who has much influence" (44), suggesting that she too is respected by society. But her value is still secondary in Marlow's opinion: Marlow comments that she was "ready to do anything, anything... if such be my fancy" (44), implying that his aunt's aim was to satisfy his whims. Indeed, Marlow ridicules women in general when he refers to his aunt: "So, would you believe it? I've tried women. I, Charles Marlow, have put women to work, to get a job. Good heavens!" (44). Marlow's statement supports the idea that men see women as their last resort, regardless of how important they may be. What is important here is that the woman's inferiority does not arise from herself, but from the male point of view. Marlow's aunt makes no comment on his place in society, but Marlow eagerly offers his, which explains why women are considered inferior to men. Furthermore, Marlow's aunt is presented in the novel as detached from reality. She speaks of "weaning those ignorant millions from their horrible ways" (49), when in reality Marlow knows that "the Company was run for profit" (49). He mistakenly believes that the Company's goal is first and foremost the civilization of the natives. Indeed, when his aunt talks about what Marlow calls "the rot let loose in the press and talks about that period" (49), and the only advice she gives is to wear flannel in the Congo, readers get the sense that you are isolated from the truth of imperialism. From this impression of a woman in Victorian England, Marlow makes a general statement that sets the tone for female inferiority: "It is strange how far women are from the truth. They live in a world of their own, and there is never been nothing just like that, and it can never be. It's too beautiful together, and if they were to put it together it would fall apart before the first sunset Some confusing fact with which we men have lived satisfied since the day of creation start and knock everything finished" ( 49). Therefore, for men, women are important only in their world, an imaginary environment protected from reality. Another example of this "separate world" notion occurs when Marlow tells the Fated One Kurtz's last words. Like Marlow's aunt, the Foretold represents the women of Victorian England in that her reality was based "on the faith that was in her...that great and saving illusion that shone with a.