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8/10/2019 Heart of Darkness Themes Pp
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Heart of Darkness
Themes
Mans inhumanity to man is his greatest sin.
Materialistic minds cannot grasp, or beinterested in, adventures
of the spirit.
A mans confrontation with his dark self isboth dangerous and
enlightening.
Every soul has its dark truth and its lighttruth-in short, the
potential for degradation ornobility.
Blindfolded bearers of light destroy what they
profess to enlighten.
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8/10/2019 Heart of Darkness Themes Pp
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Heart of Darkness
Themes
Removal of all restraints in solitude andsilence will bring out
a mans truenature.
The strongest barrier to the abyss is aprevious commitment to
faith andresponsibility.
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8/10/2019 Heart of Darkness Themes Pp
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Heart of Darkness
CharactersCharlie Marlow> thirty-two year old follower of
thesea/longs to find Kurtz
Turns from the ruthless brutality of the white peopleand to the
dark jungle
Conrad uses Marlow as a narrator so that he himselfcan enter the
story and tell it out of his ownphilosophical mind.
Marlowe and Kurtz are the light and dark selves of asingle
person.
Marlowe is what Kurtz might have been, and Kurtz iswhat Marlow
might have become. The affinity
between the men becomes a symbolic unity.
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8/10/2019 Heart of Darkness Themes Pp
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Heart of Darkness
Characters
Kurtz>comes to the Congo with nobleintentions/cultured,
educated/is an orator,
writer, poet, musician, artist, politician, ivoryprocurer, and
chief agent of the InnerStation>a universal genius and a
hollowman.
He, at the lowest point, is also a thief,murderer, raider,
persecutor, and allowshimself to be worshipped as a god.
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8/10/2019 Heart of Darkness Themes Pp
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Heart of Darkness
CharactersManager>based on a real person/the ultimatevillain
of the plot/treacherous nature/ordinary
appearance/few talentsThe Brickmaker>makes not
bricks/managerssecretary/responsisble for many of the
plotsentanglements
The Russian>always manages to be saferegardless of the
circumstances/gives Marlowinsight into the terrible nature of
Kurtzsurrender to the wilderness
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Heart of Darkness
CharactersThe Immaculate Accountant>keeper of thecompany
books/gives Marlow his first
information about Kurtz/reveals white manshatred of the natives
and the shady businessat the Central Station
The Foreman (the Boilermaker)>humble
worker, despised by the pilgrims/one ofMarlows few friends
Uncle of the Manager>almost as depraved ashis
nephew/murderous intent toward Kurtz
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Heart of Darkness
Characters
The Knitting Women>portend the darkexperience which is
awaiting Marlow in Africa
The Pilgrims>human counterparts of thehuge, buzzing ,stabbing
flies that hoverover the dying agent/ivory-hungry vultures,
opportunistsKurtz Intended>presents much of the whitetruth
about Kurtz to Marlow/contrast toKurtz Black Mistress
