Comment on the setting of the novel “Heart of Darkness.”

Answer

Comment on the setting of the novel “Heart of Darkness.” [NU: 2015, 22] ★★★

Joseph Conrad’s (1857-1924) “Heart of Darkness” (1899) is a novella where the setting is not background only. It is active, powerful, and symbolic. From the Thames in London to the Congo in Africa, setting guides Marlow’s journey into darkness.

The Thames: The story opens on the Thames River in England. Marlow sits on the ship Nellie with his friends. The unnamed narrator first describes the calm water, the golden sunset, and London shining with history. But Marlow reminds them that this river also carried Roman soldiers who once conquered Britain. He says darkness once entered England through this river. This frame setting prepares us for the link between Europe and Africa. It shows how light and darkness are tied together.

The Congo River: The main setting is the Congo River. Marlow travels on a steamboat. He describes the river as 

“Like traveling back to the earliest beginnings of the world”.

The jungle is thick, silent, and endless. It feels like an enemy. The river is twisting and full of danger. Hippos and alligators rest on the banks. Fog, heat, and silence surround the steamer. This setting is more than physical. It reflects fear, mystery, and the deep darkness in human hearts.

The Stations: Marlow visits three stations: the Outer Station, the Central Station, and the Inner Station. Each one is a setting that shows a new face of imperialism. At the Outer Station, he sees starving Africans. He describes, 

“Nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation”

He also sees a French warship firing at the forest without reason. At the Central Station, broken boats and chaos show greed and rivalry. At the Inner Station, Kurtz lives as a demi-god among the natives, with skulls on stakes outside his hut. These settings show how each step deeper into the Congo means stepping deeper into moral corruption and horror.

The settings of “Heart of Darkness”