journeyhod Journey into Hell in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Ess

The Journey into Hell in Heart of Darkness In Joseph Conrads novel, Heart of Darkness the surroundings is often symbolic as well as literal. The novel contains both the frame narrator, an anonymous member of the Nellie, representing the dominant society, and more importantly the primary narrator, Marlow, who too, is a product of the dominant society. For the novels narrator, Marlow, the journey up the Congo River to the heart of sinfulness is reminiscent of Guidos journey into hell in Dantes Inferno, with these literary allusion always present, through forms of intense imagery. The landscape takes on a hellish nature and the wilderness is personified. Death is omnipresent and this is reflected in the death imagery used to describe the cities of Brussels and London, the Congo region and Kurtz station. The fabrication of society and civilization is reflected in the authors description of the sepulchral city. The novel begins with the narrator, Marlow, and some of the ships crew waiting at dusk for the tide to change so that their cruising yawl the Nellie whitethorn enter the London harbour. The frame narrator expresses quite optimistic views on colonialism especially pertaining to London, which is described as the greatest city on earth, yet these opinions are then challenged by both marlow and the use of imagery. The coastline is described as being shrouded in diaphanous folds of fog... ...cityscape provide a physical setting which serves to reflect the mental state of the narrator, Marlow and the evils of life, as well as forgrounding the journey of the narrator - mentally, emotionally, and intellectually. The environment particularly that of the Congo and of Brussels, reflect death, hypocrisy and even humans profound heart of darkness. Bibliography Conrad, J. (1995). Heart of Darkness. London Penguin Group. Maes-Jelinek, H. Notes on Heart of Darkness Jean-Aubry, George. Joseph Conrad Life and Letters. Vol. 1. New York Page, 1966. Ed. Marvin. Con rad Collection of Critical Essays. Mudrick. Englewood Cliffs Prentice-Hall, 1972.