Heart of Darkness Body Paragraph

Through Conrad's evident use of darkness and sinister imagery, he effectively reveals his belief that humans have an inner sub-conscience that they are afraid to release. By illustrating his ideology through a moral man such as Marlow, Conrad vividly expresses how the inhumane treatment of humanity can cause even a strong and righteous man such as Marlow to express his darker emotions. However, by illustrating the downfall of Marlow, Conrad subsequently shows how him and Marlow are fundamentally different. As Karl describes in his essay, Marlow's "intelligence is displayed in his moral sensibility" (126). Thus, while Conrad understands humanity's inner dark nature, Marlow oppositely believes that all men whether in America or in Africa will be civilized and good. Ultimately, "Marlow's great revelation comes when he sees that the world is not arranged this way - and here the Congo is a microcosm of the great world in which those who can, plunder those who cannot. Marlow's awareness of evil comes when he notes that many men, and those the most willful, do not share his belief in an orderly, enlightened society" (Karl 126). Karl effectively reveals the distinct difference between Conrad and Marlow through this passage as Marlow is somewhat shocked by the deceptive and dark nature of man, while Conrad understands that those men have allowed their id to be released. Thus, rather than writing himself through Marlow's own downfall, Conrad is writing his ideological belief that man's id is naturally evil. Marlow is most noticeably exposed to the darkness of humanity when he views the treatment of the natives by the Europeans. Rather than treating the slaves fairly as Marlow's morality would have expected, the Europeans through their own evil id give them wire instead of food, ultimately forcing them to become cannibals.