Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness presents an exciting exploration of the vast ethnic and geographic depths of Africa and the Congo River. The novella is a tale of immense conquest of new territories and cultures, but at the primary level of the plot it reveals the journey of self-discovery on a distorted road, intertwined with obstacles and enigmas. The author uses extremely rich vocabulary and a plethora of varied descriptions to evoke the feeling of being hindered from moving forward with the story. The extensive use of elaborate and convoluted adjectives, which induce a feeling of mild confusion in the reader, effectively infuse the text with an unsettling feeling of mystique and confusion. In addition to this, Conrad makes use of a specific choice of words to convey the dark and desolate nature of the entire world of the story. Through the diversity of figurative language and the use of literary devices such as metaphors, gradation, symbolism, and imagery, Joseph Conrad exemplifies the portentous, yet inscrutable and barren landscape of the world through which the characters are forced to stagger. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The novella conveys the sense of impending doom throughout the story, creating a feeling of desperation and inevitability, effectively augmented through the characters' calm and resigned embrace of this danger. The first bad omen of the journey comes early through Marlow's observation upon setting foot in Belgium: “I have come to a city which always makes me think of a whited sepulcher” (4). This comparison between the city and the image of the “whitewashed tomb,” in effect a tomb, immediately gives the piece an eerie tone. This crypt-like city, which carries with it the inherent connotation of pain and death, highlights the diabolical tone of the impending journey. As the moment of departure approaches, the threatening feeling seems to envelop Marlow more and more, creating an unusual sense of anxiety, a state of mind that gradually makes him realize that something is wrong. The protagonist notices this while attending to the business details of the trip in the Company office, confessing that “[he] began to feel slightly uneasy… and there was something sinister about the atmosphere. It was just like [he] had been involved in a conspiracy – I don't know – something that wasn't right” (4). Marlow's words reasonably explain what he feels, but what really illuminates his fear of the threatening atmosphere of the impending journey is the stammering tone of the passage, stylized by breaking up the sentence with dashes. Furthermore, the ascending gradation of the feelings “disquiet,” “threatening atmosphere,” and “conspiracy” creates a crescendo in the passage that mirrors the overall feeling of slow-burning danger present in the novella. The sense of impending danger increases as Marlow reflects on the two secretaries, who “seemed to know everything… about [him]… [he] thought of these two, guarding the door of Darkness, knitting black wool as if it were a warm cloak, one introducing, continually introducing to the unknown, the other scanning the cheerful and silly faces with old indifferent eyes” (4). The portentous and mysterious depth of the piece is evoked through the image of women "guarding the door of Darkness, knitting black wool as if for a warm pall", which evokes a strong connection to death and tragedy, amplified through the symbolism of the color black, traditionally associated with the morning, and the similarity "as if for a warm cloth", in connection with the mausoleic representation of the city. Furthermore,the image of the two women knitting while deciding people's faith alludes to Greek mythology and, more specifically, to the three Moirai, who control the metaphorical thread of the life of every person in the world by effectively working their destiny. This mythological reference and the repetition of "introduce, continually introduce into the unknown" further highlight the already heightened feeling of caution palpable in the passage. Conrad incorporates even more symbolism relating to impending doom in Marlow's account of entering the office: "I was going into the yellow. Dead in the centre. And the river was there, charming, deadly, like a serpent" (4). the author uses the color yellow as an omen, alluding to the problems of the future, since the color has importance as a symbol of alertness and danger, and the snake, also as a threatening symbol "dead" - "mortal" more explicitly reveals the character portentous of the passage, setting the dark tone of the journey very early While the series of evil premonitions is easily evident in the first pages of the story, these premonitory passages continue to manifest themselves, albeit more rarely, but with greater fervor as Marlow explores Africa. .One of his first impressions of the continent and, more specifically, of the earth itself, is that "he would make the acquaintance of a limp, feigned, weak-eyed demon of rapacious and merciless madness" (7). The personification of the land as a scheming devil immediately turns the entire landscape into a harbinger of impending danger, and Marlow is perfectly aware of this. The juxtaposition between the "flaccid and fake" nature of the evildoer and his "rapacious and ruthless madness" creates a sense of bewilderment and unease since the contrasting qualities make the image of the "devil" questionable. This general feeling of anxiety grows stronger and stronger as Marlow begins to recognize the same threatening atmosphere in the gestures and words of others. While Marlow, the narrator of this story, is eavesdropping on a conversation between the manager and the manager's uncle, he becomes terrified of the diabolical nature that surrounds them as "the forest, the stream, the mud, the river - seemed to invite with a dishonorable flourish before the sunny face of the earth a perfidious appeal to the lurking death, to the hidden evil, to the profound darkness of his heart" (15). Through the personification of the "forest, the stream, the mud, the river", the entire landscape seems a harbinger of imminent danger. The passage again works with juxtaposition to emphasize the “lurking death” of the journey, creating contrasting images such as “disgraceful bloom” and “before the sunlit face…until deep darkness.” the decreasing gradation of “lurking death”, “hidden evil”, “profound darkness” aims to minimize the importance of the characters' physical danger, as if this destiny had already been established for them. The narrative creates a constant sense of threat through the use of varied language, and the use of this eerie atmosphere cleverly introduces the motif of uncertain darkness. The inscrutable nature of the world of the tale is conveyed through many bizarre moments throughout Marlow's retelling of the story, with all of these unfathomable events establishing a metaphorically impenetrable darkness, clouding any possible clarity and judgment as to how to act accordingly in this quest . Many aspects of life in and around the Company's stations in Africa evoke feelings of perplexity and estrangement, starting from the moment Marlow sets foot on the new continent. One of his first encounters with the inscrutable is described in the account of his first steps during the exploration: “I avoided a vast artificial hole that someone had dug on the slope, of whichI could guess the purpose... It might have been related to the philanthropic desire to give criminals something to do. I do not know. Then I almost fell into a very narrow ravine, almost nothing more than a scar in the hillside” (7). The protagonist's bewildered reaction to this new and inexplicable world is conveyed through his absurd explanation of the matter, suggesting that the only real reason this pit exists is to provide actual work for prisoners on earth. The curiosity of the situation is also amplified by the slight irony that while avoiding the largest and most dangerous pothole, he almost had an accident with the small obstacle, “nothing but a scar on the side of the hill”. Furthermore, the “vast artificiality” of the artificial pit is juxtaposed with the natural quality of the ravine, evident from the personification of the earth through the “scar,” which further demonstrates the unfathomable character of this realm. Marlow is baffled by the strangeness of the land and scenery, but this turns out to be only a small part of the entire strangeness of the world. He soon meets other human beings, whose living conditions and appearance evoke an even stronger sense of confusion in him. As Marlow continues to explore the land, he comes across "[b]lacks of forms [that] crouched, lay, sat among the trees, leaning against the trunks, clinging to the earth, half emerging, half obliterated in the dim light, in all their attitudes of pain, abandonment and desperation... The work went on. Work!” (7). Once again, he is stunned by the juxtaposition between the miserable lives of the workers, nearing the end, and the incessant mining work, which stops at nothing and no one. The enigmatic nature of the entire situation is expressed through the metaphorical degradation of the workers as “forms”, incomplete human beings and the symbolism of the color black, synonymous with darkness and the unknown. Marlow accentuates this feeling through the vivid and rapid enumeration of the workers' actions, which creates a chaotic and perplexed feeling in the reader, and also evokes the sense of dismay through the exclamation point at the end of the passage. In this incomprehensible world, Marlow does not truly see Africans as whole human beings; instead, his fragmented descriptions indicate how inconceivable he finds everything around him. The people he encounters are "bundles of sharp angles [who] sat with their legs raised. One... stared into nothingness, intolerably and frighteningly: his phantom brother rested his forehead, as if overcome by great weariness; and everyone on the others were scattered in every pose of twisted collapse…” (8). Marlow's lack of understanding of this world is evident from his misinterpretation of these people's gazes, dismissing them as "staring into nothingness" and as "overwhelmed." when I grow up weariness" without any knowledge of them. His frustration with the unfathomable permeates through his “intolerance[nce] and dismay[l]” towards the person, who seemingly stares into nowhere. The inscrutability of the continent is again conveyed through the descriptions of the black inhabitants as “sharp angles,” “ghost[s],” and “pos[ing] [in] twisted collapse,” all of which illustrate a bizarre image, characteristic of this strange world Toward the End of the tale, as the crew is returning, Marlow finds the physical and human manifestation of this curious world in Mr. Kurtz himself, remarking that "his [life] was an impenetrable darkness" (32). revelation, Marlow never learns to decipher the perplexing nature of life, but comes to accept things as they are. He reflects: “a funny thing life is: that mysterious arrangement of ruthless logic for a futile purpose” (33). The metaphorical “dispositionmysterious” cleverly summarizes the notion of the inscrutable world, but Marlow's rejection of “futile purpose” reveals that this world is nothing to worry about. The novella portrays Marlow's story as a journey into a mysterious and unfathomable world where nothing makes sense, an idea that, through his enveloping attitude at the end, is rendered banal. This world is not only meaningless in its inscrutable law and order, but also very desolate and empty. The barren landscapes, internal reflection and thoughtfulness of the characters create a sense of isolation and seclusion in the novella, effectively establishing the idea that every person in this world is perpetually alone, first physically and, consequently, mentally and spiritually. Although Marlow does not see him at the beginning of the story, his personality has changed significantly as a result of the trip to Africa. He has become extremely moody, often internalizing and analyzing all the emotions he feels, choosing only to share his ideas rather than engage in real conversation. His transformation begins during the journey itself when he evokes the terrible sense of isolation, present for the first time in nature: “not the faintest sound of any kind could be heard. You looked in amazement and began to suspect that you were deaf, then suddenly the night came and blinded you too... right there, surrounding you like something solid" (18). The serenity of the landscape inhibits Marlow's senses, which initiates the internal process of feeling isolated, alluded to by the concept of “suspecting oneself” in Marlow's own words. The simile “being around you like something solid” further enhances the overwhelming quality of this newfound nakedness. The change is gradual, with Marlow starting to connect everything with this imposed isolation, often amplified in his internal exploration of the real world, of physical matters. As the helmsman is dying, Marlow contemplates that "as if in response to some sign we could not see, to some whisper we could not hear, he frowned heavily... the brilliance of the searching gaze quickly faded into a vacuous glassiness" ( 21). The isolation he feels is twofold, because he feels the helmsman's misery in not being able to respond adequately to the signal that only he can perceive, and at the same time he feels isolated because he cannot understand who is the recipient of the dying man's message. the reaction is. The anaphoric repetition of “we couldn't see… we couldn't hear” creates a sense of total sense deprivation and, together with the bleak connotation of “vacant glassiness,” establishes the world's ultimate desolate effect on human beings. Marlow is so struck by this notion that he finds no refuge in the idea of ​​death, but actually objectifies it as the supreme symbol of desolation, "taking place in impalpable greyness, with nothing underfoot, with nothing around, with no spectators , without fanfare, without glory, without the great desire for victory, without the great fear of defeat... without much confidence in one's own right, and even less in that of the opponent" (33). death possesses is corroborated by the list of its qualities with the constantly recurring “without” and the notion of “impalpable gray,” which serve to create a feeling of perpetual isolation This morbid sense that life is an incessantly lonely affair continues to haunt Marlow upon his return to Europe, feeling permanently misunderstood, dismissing people as "intruders whose knowledge of life was... an irritating fiction, because [he] was so sure they couldn't have known the things [he] did." knew" (33). This quote reflects the change that Marlow has undergone because before, in the wilderness, he could not find human contact.