National University of Modern Languages

Modern Novel

Submitted to:

Mam Sobia Talat

Submitted by:

Ayesha Butt

Roll Number:

15095
 Significance of the Title

Joseph Cornard’s novella “Heart of Darkness” holds spotlight for its captivating
title with diversified yet thoughtful underlying interpretations.

The phrase “Heart of Darkness” has two meanings: one is the literal meaning,
and the other is the symbolic meaning.

Literally, the title refers to the dark continent of Africa, especially the territory
known as the Congo. Another hidden/symbolic meaning is, the title stands for the
darkness or the primitiveness that every person possesses in his or her mind and
heart.

Referring to Africa it means that the people of Africa are in darkness without
knowing about the civilization of the world. Africa is known as the dark continent,
because it was discovered very later than the whole world. “Africa was the reason
for the heart of darkness of the European People.Africa is portrayed as the source
of all evils( as the darkness) the danger that threatens to the civilised world. It was
the famous explorer and writer Henry Morton Stanley who having travelled
through Africa gave the name of the dark continent. Darkness is an appropriate
title for the novel because Marlow here describes his experiences of the interior
region of the dark continent.

The events at the beginning of the novel and the events at the close, of the
novel certainly occur outside the dark continent of Africa; but the major and the
most significant events of the story take place in the Congo and on the river of
that name. The most important portion of the novel deals with a white man called
Mr. Kurtz who falls under the influence of the savages living in the interior of the
Congo. The savages really belong to the heart of darkness.

We see everything thorough the narrator’s eyes who calls the people of
Africa creatures- as if they were not humans,they were not good enough for the
Europeans and savages-which also represents the opinions of the civilised
Europeans where everything is Better.Europeans are enlightened,
educated,technologically and scientifically advanced cherish art and literature.
Europe and its culture is seen as the right light of the future of humankind as
opposed to savage, ignorant,primitive Africa where there is no future and only
the darkness prevails.Marlow stated his feelings;

I felt as though instead of going to the centre of a continent, I were

out to set off for the centre of the earth

Symbolic interpretation:

Marlow’s physical exploration of the dark country known as the Congo is

accompanied also by an exploration of the depths of his own mind or soul.

“Their travels can be understood as a journey into exploration of darkness of

men’s souls(sin) reflected back to them by the dark continent they explore. The
human mind may also be regarded as a kind of dark continent.”

The exploration of this dark continent is perhaps even more difficult than the
exploration of a dark country like the Congo. The book called Heart of Darkness
may be treated as a journey by Marlow into his own sub-conscious mind or into
the subconscious mind of all mankind.

The geographical search is comparatively easier than the search of one's self,
one's Dark Continent. Both Kurtz and Marlow are in an implied sense in the
journey to find their dark region of mind and heart. In case of Kurtz, he cannot
hold the mystical and attractive power of his savagery self, his suppressed
primitive self and gives in. He fails to control his moral restraint. He submits to the
dark side of his personality and becomes one savage. He reaches to the heart of
darkness, but cannot resist its power upon him and he cannot come back from his
subconscious state of mind. But in the case of Marlow, he too travels to the heart
of darkness, the subconscious.

He reaches there and witnesses the heavy influence of primitive self on Kurtz. He
notices that he has become totally a devil, deviating from his main aim to civilize
the savages. Marlow, despite the truth that Kurtz has been transformed into the
barbaric self, praises him and is attracted towards him. He has fallen a near prey
to the primitiveness. But, amazingly, he does not submit himself to the savagery
self of his subconscious. He reaches to the heart of darkness, witnesses the
transformation of Kurtz, and gets to know the irresistible power of barbaric
hidden self, praises it and again comes back to the light of civilization. He is so
able to control his morality and spirituality.

There are many passages in the course of Marlow’s narration in which he gives us
glimpses of his own mind. At one point he tells us in explicit terms that he has
always hated and detested lies because he has always found a taint of death and
a flavour of mortality in lies. ‘In the same context, Marlow also says that it is not
possible for any man to convey to others the life-sensation of any period of his
existence. “We live, as we dream alone,”

His journey to Africa is, symbolically, exploration of the dark side of human life,
either psychologically, or morally and or spiritually.

The significance of the title heart of darkness lies in how one can overcome the
dark side of his brain and how he can achieve succes by overcoming the struggles
that are pulling us, commenting upon the title of the novel, it can be said that the
“darkness” here is many things: it is the unknown; it is the sub-conscious; it is also
a moral darkness; it is the evil which swallows up Mr. Kurtz and it is the spiritual
emptiness which he sees at the centre of existence; but above all it is mystery
itself, the mysteriousness of man’s spiritual life