The-symbolism-in-heart-of-darkness

ThesymbolisminheartofdarknessAbstract:heartofdarknesshasbeenlaudedasthegreatestshortnoveleverwritten,andrightlyso.infewerthanonehundredpages,Josephconardmanagestodiliveracompellingtaleofadventure,ashockingexplorationoftheworkingsofthehumanmind,andablisteringindicatmentofEuropeanexploitationofAfricanpeopleandresourses–allinlanguagesocarefully,evocativelycraftedthatreaderscanalmostfeelthattheyareinthemiddleoftheAfricanjungle.Inthenovel,symbolismisthemainwrtingstyle.Konardhaveusedalargenumberofsymbolismtounveilthedeepermeaningofthetheme.Keywords：symbolismracismwomenHeartofDarkness：ThenovelhavetoldtheexperenceofcapitalMarlowewhowasemployeedbyabelgiumtradingcompany.HistaskwastoentertheinterirAfricatosavetheveryilltradingstationagentKurt.Theso-calledtradecompanyisnothingbutwantingtoconquertheAfricanlandonthenameoftrade.ThestoryofmarlowestartwithhissignmentofthecontracttogotoCongo,andtheclimaxofthestoryisMarlowe’smeetwithKurts.Withmarlowe’sfurtherin,anotherhero–kurtsslowlycameintoourvision.Althoughinthejungle,marlowehaveunderstoodwhatiswildnessandwhatishorror,thisafearddegreeisfarbeneathfromwhichKurtsbrings.InMarlowe’sheart,Kurtsissomehowathreatforheiscomeheretoreplace.thefurtherhewent,themorehefeelaboutthat.themoreheknowthingsaboutKurts,themoreapparenthisuneasyis.Atfirst,Kurtsisaenergeticyoungmanwithloftyideal.heoncedreamhecanfindhisfortuneinAfrica,torealizehisownvalue.whatattractedhimtoAfricais“tohavehigherwisdom,anextensivesympathandaconcentratedaim……”KurtscanbecalledthewholeEuropean’srepresentahalfEnglishandahalffrench,sowocansay,thewholeEuropeanisdevoteditselftothegrowthofKurts.HeisthesymblooftheEuropeancivilization.However,thebadnaturalenvarionmentofthecolonyandtherichmateralbenefitsmadehimapeopleblindedofgreed.theinterestanddesirehaveerodedhim.andforalongtime,hedeadontheshipbackEurope.Symbolismofracismwasthefirstthingthatstoodoutwhilereadingthisstory.ThisideacamefromthewaythatJosephConradwroteaboutthewhites,-whowereconsidered“civilized”,andhowtheytreatedtheblacks–whowereconsidered“uncivilized”,inAfrica.DuringthesettlementandcolonizationofAfrica,thewhitesthoughtthemselvestobesuperiortoanyhumanwhowasdifferentfromtheircolor(i.e.Natives).ThisiswellshownwhenMarlowdescribedhisfirstimpressionofAfrica,whenhesawthe“Blackshapescrouched…Theworkwasgoingon…thiswastheplacewheresomeofthehelpershadwithdrawntodie…theywerenothingearthlynow,nothingbutblackshadowsofdiseaseandstarvation,lyingconfusedlyinthegreenishgloom.”TheseNativeswerenot“helpers”,butslaveswhowereforcedtoworkundertheorderofthewhitesettlers.However,JosephConrad'sHeartofDarknessismorethanamereexplorationoftheharshrealitiesofEuropeancolonialisminAfrica.Infact,itisrichinsymbolismasdemonstratedbyhisnegativeportrayalofwomen.Tohim,womenwerenothingmorethansoft,delicate,andnaive.ManycriticssayCornadisapersonwhohatewoman,intheheartofdarkness,Cornardusearegressivewaytodescribewoman,thefemaleroleofconardreflectedhisoldideaofwoman.“Then–wouldyoubelieveit?—Itriedthewomen.ICharlieMarlow,setthewomentowork–togetajob.Heavens!”InMarlow’sheart,womenseemshavenovalue,hethoughtthathemakeuseofawomanisashamefulact.Inthisstory,darknesswasnotonlyshownthroughthedisturbingactsofracism,butwasalsoshownasanunforgivingforcethateventuallydroveallofthecharacterstodroptheholdsofsocietyandcivilizationandshowedthroughtheiractions.Atthesametime,it’snegativepotrayalofwomenisalsoaapparentsymbolismintheheartofdarkness.However,Conrad'scondemnationofwomenisnolongeravalidinterpretationofwomeninthe21stcentury;thus,wemustoverlookConrad'sinvalidjudgmentofwomenandtakeamodernisticapproachinscrutinizingthewomen'sactualrepresentationinHeartofDarkness.