Heart of [the symbolism] Darkness

In literature authors may use a particular symbol to extenuate their meaning in writing a novel. Select a novel or play of literary merit in which a single object, person, or place symbolizes a greater meaning. Then write a well-organized essay in which you describe the symbol and explain its relevance to the work as a whole.

Joeseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness utilizes darkness as a symbol countless times, including as its title. Each mention of darness, it yields a different although no less important meanings, and come together to create one cental message important to the novel as a whole. This novel informs its readers of the horrors of European colonialism in Congo years ago, and symbolism immensely helps in doing so.

In his novel, Conrad uses the symbol of darkness to exemplify his attitude toward both Europeans and Europe as a whole. Conrad refers to as a dark place. He uses the symbol darkness as a device to explain how polluted, immoral, and evil place Europe has become. The symbolism helps express the narrator’s despise for Europeans and with this the author’s own hatred as well. By using symbolism, Europe develops a highly negative connotation that remains active in the reader’s mind throughout the novel. The reader cannot help but feel as the author does. By making Europe dark it suggests that it is tainted by all things impure, particularly colonialism. Already the reader despises colonialism as much as the author does, and the book has yet to begin; thus making Conrad’s persuasion easy to press upon his readers.

Darkness is also used in explaining the Congo after Europeans’ occupation of it. In describing the Congo, Conrad allows the darkness to represent colonialism ruining the nation as it illustrates the European’s contamination and dirtying of a once pure nation. This symbol is very often made, obvious from its title. Once the Europeans colonized the Congo they made this once pure country as dark as their own homeland, staining it with their hatred, greed, and inhumanity. The people of the Congo became dark themselves all due to the Europeans. Conrad uses darkness as a way to allow his readers to be aware of how tainted Congo has become allowed the Congo to become, further strengthening the readers’ dislike for Europeans and their brutal foreign tactics.

Most importantly, in this novel darkness is used to contrast another symbol: light. Conrad uses light when describing the Congo absent of European influences, emphasizing its purity. This symbolism of light allows for the change the Congo undergoes following the Europeans’ arrival, making it more distinguishable and impossible to miss. The contrast the symbolism both light and dark creates forces the readers to clearly see the difference between the Europeans and Congo’s people. Conrad utilizes the idea that when two dissimilar objects are compared the differing characteristics become more apparent and strike its reader with more of a perspective impact.

Through this novel Conrad has forced people to listen to his message that colonialism is wrong as it destroys whole countries. He forcibly informs his readers of the truth, eliminating any possible excuse of ignorance so many humans use today. Through the use of symbolism of darkness the readers are able to fully extract this negative attitude as if the author was arguing it to him/her personally and not through his novel’s pages. He then demands change as he his heeds warning to the world, thus fulfilling his entire purpose for writing the novel.


This essay appears to deserve more of a five.