Madison Kirby 20th Century 11-21-12 Heart of Darkness This well-known novella is defined by a travel through time while

remaining in the present. It is a comparison between civilized and savagery. The Heart of Darkness is a journey of self-discovery, and a discovery of the true heart of darkness that is within us all. In the Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad, the author, depicts the idea that people who are civilized are the holders of the light and the primitive and undiscovered areas are where the darkness lies. But what truly defines civilized and savage? Is there really a light and a dark, and what is the difference between these two ideas of life? In the Heart of Darkness London and the Congo represent the advanced and primitive societies of the world. London contains the light, and those travelling to the Congo begin with the intention of spreading civilization and ending the savage-like lives of the dark ones within the Congo, but it is soon discovered that the difference between the two cultures is miniscule. Why were the Europeans certain that they were the holders of the light and that they did not have any darkness within them? Why did the same people who claimed to be civilized think of others as less than them, more specifically, as savages? Were the Europeans not savages, and were the natives in the Congo the true uncivilized savages? In the story Marlow, the main character, comes across these questions often and discovers the truth. The truth is that Marlow, and everyone, has just as much darkness inside of himself as the native in the lurking forest. He discovers that the line between the light and the dark is very thin, and possibly even nonexistent. To begin, there is the idea of being civilized and rendering the light. Light symbolizes knowledge, and advancement; as well as righteousness, morality, and purity. London is considered civilized for three reasons. First, they are advanced and do have knowledge of how to become advanced. Second, they live by common morals. By this, it is meant that a majority

Madison Kirby 20th Century 11-21-12 attempt to follow a religion of some kind that gives them the idea of viewing themselves and others around them as better people. And lastly, for the reasons before, London does have some light. Although they are not fully pure and right, when compared to another society they tend to be the greater of the two. In the Heart of Darkness, London lives in a time when they have light. Conrad describes this time in Londons existence with this quote: We live in the flicker - may it last as long as the old earth keeps rolling! (Conrad 7). Europeans have experienced the things that a civilization must go through in order to function and prosper. As Aristotle once said, Learning is an ornament in prosperity This quote explains that in order to prosper, one must learn and have knowledge. Having knowledge is a part of having the light. Another main point made in the novella is morality. Morality is the principles by which one decides the differences between right and wrong, or good and bad. During the story London has common morals that, for the most part, align with the morals that many people can relate to today. A few of these morals are to not steal and to not murder. I affirm that Kurtz was a remarkable man (Conrad 119). One character in the novel, Kurtz, lives by these morals while he is in Europe. He seems to be an ideal man. When the morals of the Congo are discussed it is obvious that they do not follow these same morals, which is what leads the Europeans to view themselves as greater, better, and more important than the savages. This belief that they, Europeans, live with morality is another factor that leads them to the idea that they are the possessors of the light. London is regarded as civilized because they have experience and knowledge of how to be civilized, and they live with standards. They do not just run around like crazy ruthless people. Europeans view the savages of the jungle in the Congo as people who have no morals, are ruthless, and are uncivilized.

Madison Kirby 20th Century 11-21-12 Next, is savagery. What is the darkness? The darkness is the opposite of light. The darkness signifies inexperience, evil, mischief, wickedness, and impurity. The natives of the Congo were the people that the Europeans accused of being savages. Throughout the novella the European characters continually refer to the natives as savages. At one point Kurtz says: Exterminate all the brutes (Conrad 84), brutes meaning savages. They think of the savages as people who can be killed off for being who they are. Three reasons why the Europeans made this accusation is because the natives were perceived as people who lived with no morals, they did not seem to have an established and organized government, and they were known for committing witchcraft. The natives were accused of having no morals because they were seen murdering others and partaking in cannibalism. If someone commits cannibalism in Europe they are seen as murderers and are put in jail or killed, but in the jungle they natives see it as a part of daily life. The natives also made sacrifices to worship and communicate to their gods. This, just like everything else they did, was frowned upon by the Europeans. Many people viewed witchcraft as the work of the Devil. For example, Cotton Mather once said, That there is a Devil, is a thing doubted by none but such as are under the influences of the Devil. In London and Europe throughout the time the Heart of Darkness takes place witchcraft would have also been viewed as the work of the Devil. When the natives became known for committing witchcraft many Europeans immediately fell to the assumption that this meant the Devil was present in the Congo. He, the Devil, was turning the natives into savages. Lastly, the lack of government and organization throughout the Congo is yet another factor towards the allegation of the natives being uncivilized. In the eyes of the Europeans, having an established and organized government is a massive step towards being civilized. "But his soul was mad. Being alone in the wilderness, it had looked within itself and, by heavens I tell you, it had gone mad" (Conrad 113). This quote

Madison Kirby 20th Century 11-21-12 is explaining that just being in the jungle turns not just your mind, but your soul wild and crazy! The Heart of Darkness is not the only piece of literature that examines this idea of the unorganized and ungoverned acting as if they were all crazy. Another story that expresses this idea is Dances with Wolves by Michael Blake. Dances with Wolves is a story about the white American men and their journey to Manifest Destiny. They feel a necessity to conquer land from sea to shining sea, and they do it with the belief that the Native American Indians are savages. The movie and book play upon the idea that the Native American Indians are crazy. They run wild and free, and because of this the Americans from the East feel the need to civilize them with their ways of life. They howled and leaped, and spun, and made horrid faces (Conrad 59). In the forest the savages run wild, it seems as if they are all crazy. They seemed to be uncivilized and unorganized. On the contrary, were the Europeans really that much better that the natives? Marlow suggests that they are not when he says, And this also has been one of the dark places of the earth (Conrad 6). He is talking about London being just as dark as the Congo. Even though the savages may have been seen as murderers for killing their own kind, the natives did not see it that way. They viewed the ones they killed as rivals. It is like saying that the Europeans are savages because when they are at war with another country they are killing their own men. The natives saw themselves killing and fighting men of a different country. Another example of how accusing the natives of being murderers is cruel is the American Civil War. In the Civil War the phrase Brothers fought against brothers was a common slogan to define the war. Furthermore, the accusation of the natives partaking in witchcraft and being sinners and savages because of this is wrong as well. What the Europeans considered to be witchcraft is the same thing that the natives viewed as a religion. Many people of this time, and even up into the present time, felt

Madison Kirby 20th Century 11-21-12 that witchcraft was the work of the Devil. Witchcraft was punishable by excommunication and in some cases even death. In the Crucible, Reverend Paris says, For having committed the crime of witchcraft [those who have been accused] are from this church with all its blessings and every hope of heaven hereby excommunicated. Although this was the general reaction in Europe, in the Congo the acts that the natives were a part of was a religion. They made sacrifices and did many other things that seemed to be like witchcraft, but that was their way of communicating to the gods. Just like how the Europeans went to church to worship their God, the native danced and sang around a fire to worship theirs. In addition, having the light is the idea of being righteous and kind, but when the Europeans came to the Congo they were neither of these things. They were brutal to the natives. Consistently they called them horrible names and captured them to use as slaves. Ive been teaching one of the native women about the station. It was difficult. She had a distaste for the work (Conrad 28). In the Heart of Darkness the Chief Accountant took a native woman and forced her to clean his clothes and clean up after him like a maid. This is only one of many of the things the Europeans did that showed their true savagery. In conclusion, the idea of one being the possessor of the light and another being the possessor of the darkness is wrong. Well, you know, that was the worst of itthis suspicion of their not being inhuman (Conrad 59). At this point in the story, Marlow discovers that he and all of humanity are savages. Everyone has a heart of darkness. In the present day people still have a heart of darkness. Although many try to counteract this with volunteering and kind acts, they can never escape the clasp of the darkness on their soul. Deep down, everyone is a savage. The line between civil and savage is blurred by the Heart of Darkness. The natives of the Congo and the Europeans trying to come and change them were not very different at all. The

Madison Kirby 20th Century 11-21-12 flicker that London is only came because, at one point, they were the darkness. They can never be the true source of the light, because they received light from someone else. Is there a true source to the light, or has everyone everywhere been dark?

Madison Kirby 20th Century 11-21-12 Works Cited "The Crucible : Quotes." The Crucible (1996). N.p., 19 Nov. 2012. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0115988/quotes?qt=qt0338343>. "That There Is a Devil, Is a Thing Doubted by None but Such as Are under the Influences of the Devil." Goodreads. N.p., 19 Nov. 2012. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/377974-that-there-is-a-devil-is-a-thing-doubted-by>. "View All Aristotle Quotes." Search Quotes. N.p., 16 Nov. 2012. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. <http://www.searchquotes.com/quotation/Learning_is_an_ornament_in_prosperity,_a_ref uge_in_adversity,_and_a_provision_in_old_age./6080/>.