What does the Congo River symbolize in Heart of Darkness?
What does the Congo River symbolize in Heart of Darkness?
Lesson Summary It symbolizes the characters’ movement away from civilization as well. The thick vegetation on its edges and the fog the characters encounter on the river help illustrate the increasing darkness as they move towards Kurtz. This helps the overall theme of darkness in the novel.
Does Heart of Darkness take place in the Congo?
Heart of Darkness primarily takes place in the late nineteenth century in the Belgian-controlled Congo Free State. Most of the action happens in Africa, but Heart of Darkness begins and ends in a boat on the River Thames, just outside of London.
How is the Thames river described in Heart of Darkness?
Yet, Conrad has his character Marlow observe that sailing the river is much like moving back in time, before England, before civilization. He describes it with words relating to darkness: gloom, shadows, and lacking the brilliant tones of the Thames River.
How does Marlow describe the Congo jungle?
During Marlow’s stay at the Central Station, he describes the surrounding wilderness as a “rioting invasion of soundless life, a rolling wave of plants, piled up, crested, ready to . . . sweep every little man of us out of his little existence” (49).
What is the motif of Heart of Darkness?
The Hypocrisy of Imperialism Heart of Darkness explores the issues surrounding imperialism in complicated ways. As Marlow travels from the Outer Station to the Central Station and finally up the river to the Inner Station, he encounters scenes of torture, cruelty, and near-slavery.
What is so special about the Congo River?
The Congo River in Central Africa is one of the world’s great rivers, carrying 1.25 million cubic feet of water—more than 13 Olympic-sized swimming pools—into the Atlantic Ocean every second. But even more impressive is the canyon that the lower Congo cuts as it empties out to sea. It’s the deepest river in the world.
What is the frame and setting of Heart of Darkness?
In the frame story, the narrator establishes the setting in which he heard Marlow ‘s story of Africa. He, Marlow, and other sailors are on a boat on the Thames river, which leads from England out to sea. The sun is setting.
Is the Congo River the deepest river in the world?
The deepest river in the world is the Congo River in Africa. At its deepest point, the river reaches a depth of approximately 720 feet. This depth makes the Congo River about 64 feet deeper than the second deepest river in the world, which is the Yangtze River in China.
What is the plot of heart of Darkness?
Heart of Darkness Plot Summary. Heart of Darkness tells the story of Marlow, a sailor, who describes to his shipmates the unusual experience he had traveling upriver in the Congo and the effect it had upon him.
Were is the Congo River located?
Formerly known as the Zaire River, the Congo River is typically located at the boundary between Congo Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Congo in west-central Africa.
Who is Conrad in heart of Darkness?
Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski ) was a Polish-born English novelist who today is most famous for Heart of Darkness, his fictionalized account of Colonial Africa.
