Heart of Darkness is a picture of mankind’s rape of “the wilderness.” While Joseph Conrad detests this abuse of Africa, he still seems to believe that nature will never be defeated. Through his specific diction, reverent tone, and poetic language, Conrad paints a picture of a continent that will not, and cannot, be changed by mankind.
Although the character of Marlow removes the author’s voice somewhat from the story, Conrad’s beliefs come through at many points. In this case, Joseph Conrad seems to realize that the colonists’ exploitation of the land is wrong, but, nevertheless, he still considers this land to be virtually undefeatable. The first clue to this belief is in the words he chooses when describing the environment. The “wilderness” is personified as a “patient” spectator, watching the fleeting “fantastic invasion” of the colonists. To Marlow (and to Conrad), Africa’s land (and natives—both the animals and the people) will not change because of mankind. It is so “silent,” “mysterious,” and “still,” that Europeans will never even be able to understand or impact the forests, let alone destroy them.
The overall tone in the beginning of Section II also adds to this sense of an indestructible wilderness. The “uncle” gives a flourish that is “dishonouring…before the sunlit face of the land.” The forest is “ominous,” and it is so “great” that it causes “sheer fright” in the uncle and his nephew as well as a sense of awe in Marlow. It is easy to see that the author considers the wilderness on “the continent” to be far greater and more powerful than himself and the rest of the colonists.
Finally, the formal language used by Marlow to describe the wilderness builds on his respect of the land itself. While the awestruck tone represents a fear of and a sense of wonder towards nature, the language ensures that the reverence in this case far outweighs the fear. Marlow speaks of the colonists as “absurd,” even when describing the uncle and nephew pair as burdened by “two ridiculous shadows.” Nature, however, is “primeval,” “overwhelming,” and “impenetrable.” While the language can be said to be Latinate, formal, and poetic in both cases, the words concerning nature are positive and reverent, while the word choice in the case of the colonists is negative and derisive.
Conrad’s beliefs towards nature may not be so commonly accepted in today’s world, but his point is made through his writing. Whether or not our experience in the modern world has proved him wrong, he artfully and subtly weaves his ideas into the story, even if they are overshadowed by the book’s psychological aspects.
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