The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Mournful gloom (in ref to) greatest, town on earth

• refers to London

• juxtaposed descriptions

• shows both sides of imperialism/colonialism

• degrades imperialism and decreases power

Black rags were wound round their loins, and the short ends behind wagged to and fro like tails

• zoomorphism shows slavery

• degrades humanity due to lack of quality of clothes

half coming out, half effaced

• degrades humanity as they appear inhuman

• appear as almost dead due to colonisation/slavery

The work was going on. The work!

• anaphora shows degradation of the slaves

• exclamation shows Marlow’s excitement

they were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now.

• asyndetic list and definite statement shows certainty

• colonizers project unjust actions onto the colonized

• implies they were once human, perhaps before colonisation

high starched collar, white cuffs, a light alpaca jacket, snowy trousers, a clean necktie, and varnished boots.

• repetitive white symbolism

• white is pure and depicts colonisation as the same

amazing and miracle (ref to the accountant Marlow meets)

• tautology of positive outer appearance

• shows Marlow’s naivety

the word ivory rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed.

• metaphor shows importance of ivory

• personifies ivory and appears as more important than the slaves

• become worshipped (deified)

representing a woman, draped and blindfolded, carrying a lighted torch.

• allegory to the British Empire

• hypocritical due to need of torch but also blindfolded

• torch shows wide stretch of the empire

• blindfold shows the lack of awareness of actions

In the empty immensity of earth, sky and water, there she was incomprehensible, firing into a continent.

• hyperbole shows lack of meaning of actions

• comparison of nature and manmade power

my Intended, my ivory, my station, my-

• anaphora shows greed of Kurtz

• asyndetic list of possessions

• Kurtz’s power

She was savage and superb, wide-eyed and magnificent.

• juxtaposing descriptions of the African queen

• short statement shows certainty

The horror! The horror!

• epiphanic language

• shows Kurtz’s sudden realisation