Prompt 18

Joseph Conrad’s title of his novel, Heart of Darkness, holds a very ominous vibe to the reader before opening the book. The title is referring not only to the location but to the state of mind from the Europeans because of their imperialistic ways. The novel takes place in the deep jungles of Africa, where everything is dark and untamed. Everything seems almost out of control to the outside eye and because of this it leaves a dark intimidating feel, like the title.  Biblically, when Christians or other religious cultures refer to sin, their hearts are dark and evil. They are full of sinful ways and have not been cleansed by salvation. In the novel, the Africans and “savages” are seen as evil and untamed, just when referring to the sinful ways of the world their hearts are full of darkness. The imperialistic ways can be seen as dark and evil as well. The overpowering ways of forcing cultures and power onto “inferior” nations can be seen as an evil act. Evil and sinful actions are better acted on in the dark because no one is able to see them. In the novel, they’re blind in the situation they are in because of the darkness that surrounds them metaphorically and physically.