Fire as a Metaphor

Conrad manipulates the symbol of fires and flames throughout this section, both the….

Manager and the ‘brick maker’ possessing small candles which they break or put out respectively.

At the centre of this passage, is a fire which breaks out in a…

“grass shed” full of resources exploited from Africa. 

The “avenging fire” (29) rages while the men run around trying to put it out with buckets of water, Marlow noticing of one of them:

 “there was a hole in the bottom of his pail.”

“The flame had leaped high, driven everybody back, lighted up everything – and collapsed.” (30)

• This ‘flame’ is symbolic of the failure of colonial activity in Africa and the lies is tells about itself. While it is theoretically supposed to be bringing the ‘flame’ of advancement to Africa, the only significant ‘flame’ on display is one which burns down a storage hut full of exploited resources! This is juxtaposed with the tiny candles which seem to be illuminating nothing but the personal quarters of the higher ups of the station. 

• The course of the phrase quoted above is perhaps itself symbolic of the course colonialism has taken and the hope that it will soon ‘collapse’. 

Marlow also comes across an oil painting painted by….

Kurtz in the brick maker’s lodging

It depicts “a woman, draped and…

blindfolded, carrying a lighted torch. The background was sombre – almost black […] the effect of the torchlight on the face was sinister.” (32)

how is the painting significant?

• Again here, Conrad is subverting the traditional image of European colonialism ‘lighting up’ the world. 

• Ironically here, the woman carries a torch but cannot see, symbolising the blindness of Europe to what colonialism is actually doing. 

• The torch seems not to actually be lighting anything up at all and is only shining a light on the woman’s face. Colonialism itself is reflecting badly on those who are carrying it out, but failing to improve the colonial world in any way at all.