What is the Heart of Darkness

Joseph Conrad's novel, Heart of Darkness is complex, there are many motifs and when Marlow tells the story he is never very clear on what is actually happening. I want to know what exactly is the heart of darkness? Marlow uses that phrase to describe many different settings and experiences. Is the heart of darkness the jungle, or is it Kurtz, is it the white people who go to the congo to "civilize" the natives, is it Marlow himself, or is it in every person? I'm confused because that phrase describes many vents in the book but it is never clear what exactly the heart of darkness is.

Comments

[Meghan W.]

I think that the real "Heart of Darkness" is Kurtz himself. Kurtz is a very unique man, and yes, some people would call him a crazy man. But he is the one who started all this craziness in the jungle, with the natives, and everyone else as well. He is the real reason behind all of this madness. The darkness of Kurtz is shown through all different types of examples through out the book; from killing people to raiding villages to having stakes with heads on them, and many other things as well. But through all of the bad things Kurtz has done, there is still some good that the Intended, the natives, and everyone else still sees.