Olivia Smith

English IV AP

Mrs. Balden

28 April 2017

The Effect of Isolation in Heart of Darkness

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 66)

Alienation. Estrange. Loneliness. Depression. The feeling of sever from the world has a

tremendous effect on the individual. In the novel, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad due to the lack of

familiar environments, influencers, people and community; the natives of Africa and the character Kurtz

demonstrate the true nature of human-beings and how one most learn to cope with oneself to survive.

The natives that roam the African lands protecting their community are inherently referred to as

savages by the other white characters (Conrad 43). Because they have been in the jungle for so long

their humanity is turned off; they are described as animals with horrid faces [that] howled, and leaped

and spununder the droop of heavy and motionless foliage (Conrad 36). To cope and survive with

limited resources they have turned to cannibalism. They hunt, kill the weak and ill feeling no emotion due

to their lack of humanity. They are carved off from the world not knowing right from wrong and will go

to extreme measures to protect their cherished turf. Marlow, the white, main character of the novel,

describes the natives attack as undertaken under the stress of desperation, and in its essence [is] purely

protective (Conrad 43). Though, from the perspective of the white Europeans the natives appear as

savage, inhuman and ruthless; they express devotion to their culture and their land. Due to the effect of

isolation the natives appear this way.

Kurtz is the legendary, idolized member of the company known for his ability to collect

tremendous amounts of wealth for the company with the ivory he bargains from the natives. This

character is the ultimate example of how isolation and unknown surroundings can alter a person

completely. He has been in the middle of Africa in the jungle for an extensive period and has chosen not
to return to Europe. He is described as an animated image of death carved out of old ivory[wanting] to

swallow all the air, all the earth, all the men before him (Conrad 60). Kurtz has assimilated into the

native culture and has used threats to become their leader. He is ruthless and cannibalistic and has round

knobs[that] were expressive and puzzling, striking and disturbing-food for thought and also for the

vultures on stakes peering into his house (Conrad 57). Ultimately, Kurtz only cares about gaining

wealth from the company and maintaining power for himself. He serves as an example of how isolation

will turn off a persons humanity.

Overall, this prompt relates to the novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad because in the

novel humanity is tested to the limit, the characters must fight to survive and realize what is truly

necessary. Conrad demonstrates the insane nature of man through the ruthless natives and the

antagonizing character of Kurtz. The lack of unfamiliar environments, familiar people and being forced to

live a different way of life forces a person to become inhuman and learn to cope with limited resources to

survive. Alienation deprives a person of their true existence forcing the turnoff of humanity and all

emotional feelings.