Intro Idea

In Conrad's Heart of Darkness, the journey up the Congo river reveals Marlow’s unsteady psychological state as he travels deeper into the jungle in search of the infamous captain Kurts. Marlow behaves irrationally, and his ability to communicate becomes impaired due to his uneasy state of mind. Despite his sporadic behavior and speech, Marlow manages to maintain a partial sense of control and restraint. In accordance to Freudian psychology when external checks, otherwise known as societal norms, are absent, one becomes suseptible to the supressed desires of their id. Marlow demonstrates a resistance to the temptations of his id, unlike Kurts the man he seems to idolize. Despite Marlow’s resistance to his subconsious desires, by the end of the novel his psychological state has been altered. Therefore, Marlow’s journey can be exmanined through his psychological deterioration as he travels up river toward Kurt’s village, and through his psychological transformation as he meets Kurts and attempts to return him to the civilized world.

Essay Idea

Joseph Conrad’s novel, Heart of Darkness, presents the idea that one’s subconscious mind heavily influences one’s decisions and actions under circumstances where “external checks” are absent. As Marlow, the protagonist, navigates his way through the Congo in search of the infamous Kurts, his upright morals and believe system begin to slip. In many instances, Marlow demonstrates irrational thinking that may lead the reader to believe that the environment in which he resides has poisoned his mind. While it may seem that the environment has caused Marlow’s moral decay, the truth is that Marlow’s subconscious becomes increasingly active. The idea that Marlow’s subconscious has taken control can be explained by Freudian psychology, which concludes that external checks prevent indecent behavior from influencing the conscious mind. In a society with external checks, an individual conceals their natural iniquity with subconscious thought, most commonly expressed in dreams. When external checks are removed, one’s subconscious or id presents itself in the conscious mind of the individual. This condition in which the subconscious ideas infiltrate one’s conscience can be described as a liminal state between dream and reality. 

Psychological Journey

Marlow's journey into the heart of darkness can be viewed as a journey into his own subconscious. While Marlow appears physically and consciously unaffected by his journey, the reader is presented with a different view. This alternative view demonstrates how Marlow is affect by his "id" or subconscious. As Marlow becomes increasingly uneasy with the environment of the Congo his "id" becomes more active. For example, Marlow's ironic joking about the cannibals that he has hired to work on his boat present a state of danger. Apart from Marlow's inability to recognize danger, he reveals that his ability to make decisions has been impaired when he frantically tosses his shoes overboard after becoming stained with blood. This unusual behavior that Marlow takes part in can be explained by Freudian psychology. In England, external checks such as laws keep Marlow and his subconscious mind in check causing him to restrain the temptations of his subconscious mind. However, when unrestrained, Marlow's "id" becomes active and causes him to behave uncharacteristically. As Marlow travels deeper into the heart of darkness his psychological state deteriorates.

Heart of Darkness p.430 #6

Kurtz’s painting of the blindfolded woman carrying a torch contains a message signifying that in the uncivilized continent of Africa justice has no sight, no judgment and therefore, no jurisdiction over the actions of man. This painting further suggests that while the rules and limitations of society that have civilized man are absent and the morality of the individual is weakened. At this point in the story Marlow most likely does not agree with this message. He has recently arrived in Africa and he has not fully experienced the degrading effect that the “darkness” can have on one’s civilized way of life. Although Marlow certainly has witnessed enough to give him a sense of what kind of place Africa is, he has not yet accepted the fact that the civilized world he has come from is completely absent from the environment he now resides in. Marlow inadvertently informs the reader of his inability to accept the fierce reality through several comical statements concerning misfortunes that are uncommonly associated with humor. 

Hear of Darkness p. 428 #2

A strong connection exists between the Roman’s view of England as they first began to inhabit English territory and the English establishment of colonies in Africa. At one point the Roman Empire had been the largest and most powerful in Europe, similar to the position of the later established English Empire. Looking to expand its boarders, Romans began colonizing England. This colonization of England is similar to England’s eventual colonization of Africa. Describing how Empires tend to expand into different environments where the culture is very different establishes a historical background central to the novel.