The Conflict between Truth and Ideals in "Heart of Darkness"

The Conflict between Truth and Ideals in Heart of sin

The story Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, is concerned as much with the journey into the darkness of mans soul as it is with the tangible journey into unknown lands. The protagonist, Marlow, describes the moral dilemmas that proscribedweigh the physical ones to his confidantes upon his transcend to England. Propelled by a lifelong curiosity over the neat spaces of the Congo, Marlow ventures into the Congo as a poised voyager. Throughout his journey, Marlows ideals of western sandwich influence conflict with the moral and physical ruins which he finds along the Congo. In his quest to meet his predecessor, Kurtz, Marlow is forced to examine his worldview and fit the contradiction between the truth and his ideals.

Throughout the story, we are introduced to a hatch of tones representing different outlooks. However, the personal conflict Marlow faces gives the story its depth and crisis. Marlow appears to conduct pride in civilization and noble conquest. However, the narrator foreshadows Marlows upcountry conflict by saying that, for Marlow, ...the meaning of an episode was non inside like a kernel, but outside, enveloping the taradiddle which brought it out only as a glow brings out in a haze. (Pickering 285).



Most of Marlows journey centers on the character of Kurtz, however, it is not Kurtzs behavior that causes the conflict. Before meeting Kurtz, Marlow paints a scene of him as a brilliant pioneer. However, most of what Marlow hears about Kurtz is diluted or false. What manipulate the epiphany for Marlow are the events surrounding his search for Kurtz, which elucidate his distortion of reality.

A critical source of conflict for Marlow comes from his ideas of civilization versus savagery. For Marlow, the European conquerors represent civilization, which bears a responsibility to...

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