How Does Conrad Link His Physical Exploration to a...

The â€Å"Heart of Darkness† is a tale of passage and discovery, not only into the heart of Africa, but into the heart of our human mind. Written by Joseph Conrad, this novel follows Marlow’s expedition into the unknown depths of the Congo in search of Kurtz and his adored wisdom. Conrad links Marlow’s physical journey to a psychological quest of discovery into evil and darkness inside each one of us. Through the impassable landscape, the language barrier between the colonists and the natives, and embodiment of Kurtz this idea is portrayed. We are given a glimpse of what mankind is capable of, how destructive and hostile we can be. But the question this novel probes at is to what length can we restrain ourselves from revealing our inner†¦show more content†¦The psychological discovery which this journey of Marlow represents; is man’s burning desire to overpower and conquer all that it sees. But here in the depths of the unknown, the trees are the kings. They outnumber the humans significantly, â€Å"trees, trees millions of trees†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and demonstrate that we cannot have control over all things, that there is a higher power which governs even us. Marlow’s journey into the unknown is predominantly in search of the idealism of meeting Kurtz. Before we finally encounter Kurtz in the story, an admirable reputation of him and all he represents is formed. Marlow is so fixated on the wisdom and greatness of the man that he becomes more of a God than a person. He is a representation of darkness and is the focal point of the play to some degree. He is a personification of his surroundings, part of the African earth, an ominous shape in the foliage of trees. Kurtz and Marlow are the only two characters named in the entire story, which places emphasis on them and distinctly dehumanises the other characters in the story. Conrad amplifies Kurtz’s significance through waiting to the third chapter to finally reveal him to Marlow and the audience. We feel as we have earnestly waited for an eternity to finally meet him. His entrance on a stretcher carried by the African natives is an image of significant connotation. He is desc ribed initially by Marlow as â€Å"an insoluble probability†. HeShow MoreRelatedLibrary Management204752 Words   |  820 Pages. . . . . . . . . . 240 Performance Appraisals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 Why Appraisals Are Done . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242 When to Do Appraisals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 Who Does the Appraisals?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 Problems in Rating. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246 Methods of Performance Appraisal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246 The Performance Appraisal Review ProcessRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 PagesAuthors Erik W. Larson ERIK W. LARSON is professor of project management at the College of Business, Oregon State University. He teaches executive, graduate, and undergraduate courses on project management, organizational behavior, and leadership. His research and consulting activities focus on project management. He has published numerous articles on matrix management, product development, and project partnering. He has been honored with teaching awards from both the Oregon State University MBA