Fog (Heart of Darkness)

"'We will be all butchered in this fog', murmured another." (123)

Fog can be related to darkness, but Conrad makes it into something that is perhaps may be worse. In the darkness nothing can be seen, and it tends to be a set back; For example when they are only eight miles away from Kurtz but they decide to stop because they do not want to go on in the dark. However with fog, it allows to see fragments of information, yet holds back key parts. In Marlow's journey fog is a major obstacle to him and the travel of his steamboat.

http://i.pbase.com/v3/30/605830/2/50947468.Boatinfog.jpg

"An extraordinary find" (Heart of Darkness)

"It was an extraordinary find. Its title was An Inquiry into some Points of Seamanship, by a man Towser, Towson. . ." (119)

Along his journey, Marlow finds a book. Although to most people, finding a book would not be of much interest, Marlow shows that to him, this find is spectacular. At this point in his excursion, he is away from all that is familiar to him and far from a civilized world. When he finds this book, it reminds him of his precious world that he has been away from for so long. This is the reason why Conrad has him keep the book, and hold it dearly.

A complicaion of light & dark (Heart of Darkness)

"There was no joy in the brilliance of sunshine." (113)

Conrad makes all previous thoughts of the meaning of light and dark lost in Heart of Darkness. In this novel, black and white is not so simple anymore. Although in the story it focuses more on darkness being a representation of negativity, the meaning behind lightness also starts to intertwine. Joseph Conrad's thoughts are so morbid that he believes the light of sunshine can not even be trusted. For example, Ivory is white. Although it is a precious and valuable thing, it also has a negative effect on people. It drives men insane just to track a bit of it down.

Pilgrams (Heart of Darkness)

"It must have made some of the Pilgrims sit up in their hovels."

Throughout the novel, Conrad refers to the men on the ship Pilgrims. A pilgrim can be defined as someone on a spiritual or religious journey. You can also look at Marlow's journey in a religious/spiritual way to. Marlow's journey is spiritual because of the change that he tries to make to the people he encounters in Africa.

"Pilgrim - definition of pilgrim by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia." Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary. Web. 14 Sept. 2009. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/pilgrim.

Eldorado Exploring Expedition (Heart of Darkness)

"'This devoted band called itself the Eldorado Exploring Expedition, and I believe they were sworn to secrecy.'" (107)

Eldorado was never all that it was cracked up to be. Rumour had it that Eldarado was a magical city with large amounts of Gold that could get everyone rich quickly. However, although it was not real, people were still willing to risk their lives for it, just for a chance at that large of a fortune. Conrad relates this to Heart of Darkness in a couple of different ways. One example of course is the ivory. Ivory drove the Europeans as well as the Africans mad in the search of what everybody desired. Also, although this could be a stretch, Eldordo relates to the Europeans trying to force their customs on the Africans. Although they have an idea that it will probably not work, their hopes are so high that the still work to make the Africans more like them.

http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/print/2008/10/mitsubishi_eldorado.jpg

Mephistopheles (Heart of Darkness)

"'I let him run on, this papier-mache Mephistopheles, and it seemed to me that if I tried I could poke my forefinger through him, and would find nothing but a little loose dirt, maybe.'" (100)

Mephistopheles all came to be in the Faust legend where it came to be as a demon. Now Mephistopheles is usually recognized as the devil. Conrad references to the devil appear many times through out Marlow's difficult journey. The reason for this is perhaps because of all the death and poor morals incorporated in the story.

"Mephistopheles -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 14 Sept. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mephistopheles.

Kurtz's painting (Heart of Darkness)

"I rose. Then noticed a small sketch of oils, on a panel, representing a woman, draped and blind-folded, carrying a lighted torch. The background was sombre- almost black. The movement of the woman was stately, and the effect of the torchlight on the face was sinister." (98)

Kurtz was a man of all trades. A painter, ivory trader, a populist, writer and musician. Conrad has Marlow stumble across one of Kurtz's paintings near the beginning of his journey. In this novel not many women are developed into real characters, and made into idealistic creatures. The women in the painting is obviously not living, showing even more that woman are more of a fantasy creature because they are not included in the story. The torch and the blind-fold come together to bring a piece of symbolism to the painting. The blind-fold is a representation to the "blind" Europeans not knowing what Africa is really like. The torch shows how the Europeans are trying to bring a new chance and more opportunities to Africa.

"Kurtz (Heart of Darkness). Who is Kurtz (Heart of Darkness)? What is Kurtz (Heart of Darkness)? Where is Kurtz (Heart of Darkness)? Definition of Kurtz (Heart of Darkness). Meaning of Kurtz (Heart of Darkness)." Knowledgerush. Web. 14 Sept. 2009. http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/Kurtz_(Heart_of_Darkness)/.