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Thinking Activity on Novel Heart of Darkness

Heart of Darkness


                  The novella " Heart of Darkness" contains the deep title significance related with colonialism. The Heart, which is dark, clearly represents colonialism. As readers we came to know about various experiences of Marlow which contains evil practice, live cruelty, disease of starvation, frustration and domination of authority on ordinary people.


                 As per the title, the importance is connected with darkness. The face can be beautiful but the heart reveals the reality of Africa. By the starting of the novel we come to know about the frustration level of people working in the company station. Their act of aimlessly blasting the rocks and then resting under the tree represents their tiredness. Marlow feels that they are suffering from the disease and the disease is 'starvation'. 


          In the human body, Heart is at the center and nobody can see it, but all can feel it. The same way, from outside, everything looks good and perfect but inner evils and hidden secrets in heart can be observed only by feeling it. Marlow feels everything and encounters the various incidents which break, he falls in thinking repeatedly. Marlow was a good observer and thinker and just because of his this ability, he was able to survive in the darkness of evilest treatment with natives. The incident of fire also represents the cruelty of authority towards workers. By accident on the side of Marlow. He was observing everything but was interrupted in between. Another sign of darkness is the painting by Mr. Kurtz, in which there is a woman who is carrying a torch in her hand and has a blind fold on her eyes. She was blind folded but was carrying a torch which creates a sense of absurdity and irritation. At some point, the condition of the continent because of imperialism is the same. The woman represents the heart, which is the country and is blindfolded by the evil of imperialism. The torch is the hope of coming out of the darkness but it is of no use because of the power and authority of imperialism on the mind of the people not only by the other countries but also by the natives who are having a little authority and dominance. Marlow again falls in the ocean of thoughts with the mysterious painting, but after meeting Kurtz he got to the idea of the deep rooted darkness which he painted in the painting by Kurtz.


         The darkness can be felt by the words of Mr. Kurtz when he died, which was, 

 

        "The horror….the horror…."


This represents the whole life of Kurtz, which was in the harsh darkness of having power and authority. He also rules the hearts of natives and we also can say controlled the natives. When Marlow went to take Kurtz to the city, natives attached their ship and demanded Kurtz back in the station. Kurtz was cruel and killed many natives who were not in control of him but though he was at the centre of the station and in the mind of the natives. 


         Marlow was also experiencing a variety of human behaviours in various patterns. He also met the manager of the middle station who was having jealousy and  hatred towards Kurtz and was continuously admiring him in front of Marlow. The behaviour of Brick maker is weird and unacceptable on the side of Marlow. The head of EEE is also planning to make his nephew the head at the Central station and wants Mr. Kurtz to be dead. His intentions. The incident of the Negro who was beaten without fault, he encountered the "Chain gang". He encountered all the cruelty of the Congo region which was not limited  to the whole continent and was spread in all the areas containing imperialism.

     

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