Prompt 18

Heart of Darkness caught my attention from the start, simply because the title is such a significant aspect of the novella. There are many reasons as to why the title is what it is, and it ranges from the literal to the metaphorical in meaning. The novella addresses some key issues about race; its entire purpose centers around the subject of race during this time (in 1899). Color is a very important issue in this book, especially whether something is light (or white) or dark (black) in meaning and in skin color. Another reason why this is the title is because of the location this book is set in. Africa is and just about always has been a "dark" spot in our world, because it is underdeveloped and filled with third world countries. Lastly, this book shows off the wickedness of man's dark hearts. Because these Europeans address black men as "savages," "niggers," and other offensive titles all throughout the work, it just goes to show how dark man's heart truly is. Conrad indubitably had a motive behind his title, and whether it has to do with man's naturally wicked ways or the physical location of the book, it is important to appreciate and recognize the meaning behind the title.