There are two distinct meanings that come to mind for me when hearing
the title, Heart of Darkness, a
physical one, and a mental or moral one. This ominous title sets the reader up
for a dark tale that mixes both physical darkness, and a mental state of darkness.
The “Heart of Darkness”
can be seen as the jungle, in obvious ways that it is dark and overcast with
foliage and trees, but also in the sense that it is the unknown. Going into the jungle, unaware of their
surroundings, the men lose sight of themselves as they are trying to cope with
the differences. Also, the further away from real civilization one gets, the
more “darkness” he encounters.
Another way to see the
title, Heart of Darkness, is to see
it as the darkness within Kurtz. Before he sets off into the Jungle, Kurtz has
a sense of moral obligation, but when faced with the chance to have power, he
is corrupted and a sort of darkness sets in. This corruption can be used in a
metaphor in the fact that his soul (or heart) is turned to “black”.
I agree with you, Conrad's description of the forest really supports that it is something that can be maddening. I also think that the "Heart of Darkness" lies within the jungle, perhaps it what drove Kurtz to insanity.
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