Conrad utilizes the archetypal mystery and splendor of the forest multiple times throughout Heart of Darkness, and of these several instances he also connects this wilderness to the primitive, undomesticated hearts of men. The association of mankind with that of the forest’s unbridled darkness is one of novella’s most prevalent, recurring themes, and is frequently supported throughout the text:
“All that mysterious life of the wilderness that stirs in the forest, in the jungles, in the hearts of wild men”.
“The vision seemed to enter the house with me... the gloom of the forests... the beat of the drum, regular and muffled like the beating of a heart - the heart of a conquering darkness.”
“...the forest stood up spectrally in the moonlight, and through the dim stir, through the faint sounds of that lamentable courtyard, the silence of the land went home to one’s very heart - its mystery, its greatness, the amazing reality of its concealed life.”
In all of these passages, Conrad describes the forest as inexplicably frightening and then relates this wilderness to the very center of humanity. The hazy, mysterious, and gloomy qualities of the forest are reflected through the hearts of mankind, suggesting that at the very core of every man lies a dark, primitive barbarian subdued only by civilization and domestication.
I agree with your view of the forest completely. Thus, leading to the view of that the forest does have a similar darkness that all people posess, at least a tiny bit. All men and women do have this darkness lurking behind humanity, that also affects sanity. I enjoy the use of numerous examples of quotations for the use of explaining the importance the forest had on Heart of Darkness. The uses of how gloomy the forest is portrays the essence of humanity and the darkness all things are capable of holding, however choose to be positive compared to the darkness.
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