Claudia Lobo

AP English Lit

Mrs. Adams

Article Summary
The article was written to describe the theme of lying within Heart of Darkness. It’s not

just a little white lie that occurred in the book but one of the main pillars that supports its plot.

The writer puts the article into two major sections: “petty misdemeanor and trivial lies” and

“greater evils”. The writer speaks of how much of it is attributed to hypocrisy. The Company

claims to be civilizing natives, Kurtz claims to be a god, and Marlow hates lies yet all those only

reinforce the hypocrisy that is both hidden and shown within the Congo.

The lesser evil is the lie that sets a disappointing ending to the story – Marlow chose to

lie, giving in to all that he hates. Lying to the fiancé is what proves that a person cannot accept

the truth and shows Marlow’s hypocrisy. From that lie spawns the “greater evil” as the writer

puts it. Marlow is unwilling to tell the truth of what became of Marlow and what white settlers

were doing to the natives.

The little lie leads to a greater show of lie. Heart of Darkness consists of many lies. The

writer compares many of these to the white and black symbolism used within the story. Also

used are the “Pharisees, as ‘whited sepulchers,’ which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but are

within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.” The comparison is used to describe the

Company and white elite rulers in general. They go under pretense of aiding the natives yet they

only dig for ivory – symbolic of wealth and power. Lying and hypocrisy are dominant

throughout the novel and article. They are the unseen conflicts that haunt the waters of the river

and cling to the darkness.