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Heart Of Darkness

Decent Essays

Sometimes it’s better to be clueless about what’s happening around you than to know every bit of information that could corrupt you. One suspects that the male protagonists from Joseph Conrad’s novella, Heart of Darkness, would agree. Throughout the novel, Conrad accounts the story of Marlow, the protagonist, and his journey up the Congo River, as well as, his encounter with Kurtz, a venerated ivory trader. Both of their experiences leave lasting impressions on their views of colonialism, corruption, and the inherent nature of human beings. However, as their knowledge and perspectives broaden, their view on women stay increasingly narrow minded. Although there are minimal references to women, the few that are incorporated shed light on the …show more content…

After the death of Kurtz, the Intended, completely distressed, yearned to know Kurtz’s last words. Although Kurtz’s last words were “the horror,” Marlow lied and said the last word that Kurtz pronounced was the Intended’s name. Even though he vowed previously to never tell a fib, the reason for his lie was that the truth, “would have been too dark--too dark altogether” (Conrad 157). This instance shows how despite Marlow’s morals, he still believed the truth would be “too dark” for the innocent and ignorant woman. He did not want the Intended, someone pure and full of light, to be corrupted by the darkness of reality. This mindset and contradiction of imagery reinforces the idea of the exclusion of women from the real world. Marlow seemed to support the concept of separate realms for men and women, and that neither gender should cross over. Based on the novel, women are shown as needing to remain ignorant of all harsh realities, and any knowledge can corrupt their world or lifestyle dramatically. This perspective exemplifies the desire for things that are ignorant or of “light” to stay shielded away from the dark as protection. It is pertinent that women are left out of touch with the world, even if it means sacrificing certain

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