#11 Issue: On the Congo River

Hello and welcome to the eleventh issue of A Story for the Week!

The story of the week is “Heart of Darkness,” a novella by the Polish-British writer Joseph Conrad.

The novella “Heart of Darkness” was first published in 1899 as a three-part story in BritishBlackwood's Magazine. It’s told from the perspective of an English sailor Charles Marlow who ventures deep into the heart of the African continent on a steamer in search of Mr. Kurtz. The story was largely inspired by Conrad’s travel on the Congo River while working for a Belgian trading company. Apparently, the captain fell ill and Conrad took command of the ship. Precisely because of this, “Heart of Darkness” is classified as “Roman à clef,” a story that has real-life elements sprinkled with fiction so that’s hard to discern what truly happened.

Although “Heart of Darkness” wasn’t initially a success, during the second half of the last century it became one of the most analyzed pieces of literature, namely due to the themes of colonialism and racism. There are still critics who label the novella as being ridden with xenophobia and racism. However, it’s important to note that it was only telling the truth of its own time, and Conrad took it upon himself to tell the story as it was.

The story of “Heart of Darkness” goes as follows: Charles Marlow, a seasoned British sailor, is recollecting and telling a group of passengers how he had been employed by “the Company” (an ivory trading business) to sail down to the Congo River and assume the role of a captain on a steamboat. He eagerly sets sail for the Congo River, however, as soon as he docks on the Outer Station, he’s welcomed by an ungodly sight of ill Africans being worked to their death.

However, the work must continue, and Marlowe sets sail for the Central Station, where he for the first time hears of the (in)famous Mr. Kurtz, the man who’s single-handedly responsible for the majority of ivory obtained by the Company. However, Mr. Kurtz fell ill, and Marlow needs to reach the heart of the Congo River, the Inner Station, and ensure the future of the trading company.

In the end, Marlowe finds Mr. Kurtz, sick as ever, and in command of an African tribe that worships him and raids surrounding areas for ivory for him. Although Marlowe is taken aback by Mr. Kurtz and his tribe, he can’t help but admire him, at least a bit. I want you to find out the end of “Heart of Darkness” for yourself, but I will reveal a tiny detail you probably already figured out—Marlowe lives to tell the tale.

“Heart of Darkness” is a remarkable piece of literature for a number of reasons—the structure, the controversial themes of colonialism and racism, the writing, and, of course, the symbolism. The structure is rather unique since it has an embedded narrative, meaning it’s a story within a story. This makes up for a dynamic read, even though there aren’t many time jumps between the two.

Even though I didn’t give too much attention to colonialism and racism in this issue of the newsletter, they play a huge role in “Heart of Darkness.” Not only do you witness blatant, cruel, and unnecessary acts of torture of African people, you see how they are being used, abused, and tossed away as pawns of colonialists. It remains questionable how much of this novella is actually true, but I believe the described atrocities very much happened and this was just a fragment of the reality back then and there.

Because of this and Conrad’s writing style, “Heart of Darkness” is a challenging read, but well worth the effort. Conrad spoke Polish (mother tongue) and French, and only during his twenties did he learn English. Naturally, his prose is teeming with unique phrases, which, in all honesty, can’t be found in any other works of modern authors. In this novella, there are vibrant, electric sections that dive deep into the human psyche. He also alternates a lot between short and long sentences, creating a rich dynamic between the two.

Finally, I want to talk about symbolism in “Heart of Darkness.” The real magic of the story, at least in my opinion, lies in the fact that you can really interpret it the way it suits you. You can look at this whole journey as a descent into madness, but you can also see it as a heavy critique of imperialism and colonialism. The story is quite simple and straightforward, and that opens it up for a number of interpretations. Personally, I see it as a journey into disillusionment. Marlowe initially is excited about the job, but as he travels deeper and deeper, he sees more and more issues with modern society, civilization, and the modern man.

All in all, “Heart of Darkness” is one of the most analyzed novellas today for a good reason. Not only is it beautifully written, but it also deals with controversial and heavy topics not many authors of that time dared to write about. On top of that, it’s packed with symbolism and you’ll surely learn a thing or two about yourself while reading.

In case I haven’t persuaded you to pick up “Heart of Darkness,” here’s one of my favorite quotes from the novella:

“They only showed that Mr. Kurtz lacked restraint in the gratification of his various lusts, that there was something wanting in him—some small matter which, when the pressing need arose, could not be found under his magnificent eloquence. Whether he knew of this deficiency himself I can’t say. I think the knowledge came to him at last—only at the very last. But the wilderness had found him out early, and had taken on him a terrible vengeance for the fantastic invasion. I think it had whispered to him things about himself which he did not know, things of which he had no conception till he took counsel with this great solitude—and the whisper had proved irresistibly fascinating. It echoed loudly within him because he was hollow at the core...”

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