Nathaniel Hawthornes Use of Imagery, Language, Theme and Narrative Technique in Scarlet Letter

This blog demonstrates an understanding and analysis of the passage in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, ‘The Scarlett Letter’ in which Dimmesdale, Hester and Pearl join on the scaffolding one night. The passage, which occurs in the middle of the novel, marks an important part of the narrative as it is the first time the three characters all stand together; in the place Dimmesdale should have joined Hester and their child many years ago. The chapter in which the passage occurs, marks the height of Dimmesdale’s moral crisis, as this section in the narrative acts almost as Dimmesdale’s confession to God, although it shows that he remains too cowardly to confess in broad daylight and under the watch of others.

Hawthorne uses a range of semantic fields throughout the novel; in this passage he uses a combination of cosmic imagery and religious themes. Hawthorne’s choice of lexis from these fields puts emphasis upon the reoccurring themes the author is trying to convey,   particularly focusing on religion. Hawthorne uses cosmic imagery which, although a field in its own right, is linked by him to the religious theme he attempts to convey.  In this passage Dimmesdale sees a meteor, believed by Puritans of the time to be a warning from God signalling bad things to come or commenting on happenings within the community at that moment. Dimmesdale relates the meteor to his own situation, believing the meteor creates the shape of an ‘A’ and is Gods way of trying to expose him. This demonstrates the strength of belief in God at the time the novel is based on. “…the dense medium of cloud betwixt the sky and earth” seems to imply heaven, again referring to the meteor as a message from God. Most examples of cosmic imagery within the novel appear to put emphasis upon the religious themes in the novel that Hawthorne wishes to make dominant.

A literary device Hawthorne uses throughout The Scarlet Letter is imagery, for example the use of the name Pearl. The noun ‘pearl’ refers to a precious mineral. This is an allusion to the fact the child is very precious, especially to Hester who calls her “my little Pearl”. Pearl was the result of a sin that cost Hester the chance of a normal life and resulted in her humiliation and punishment, however, Hester’s evident affection towards Pearl is testament to Hester’s kind heart and forgiving nature (Pearl is a physical manifestation of a passionate love affair).

In the novel, the scaffolding is a symbol of Gods penitence and Gods platform on the day of judgement. It’s on the scaffold that Dimmesdale confesses both alone in the dark and also later in the novel in front of the crowds. The scaffolding represents the link between Hester and Dimmesdale; her own public humiliation and his inner anguish are shown highlighting the differences between their relationships.

Figurative language is one narrative technique used in this passage of the novel. The narrator uses the simile “like domes of an immense lamp” to describe great vault resultant of the meteor.

In order to link the novel to the time in which it was written Hawthorne has chosen for the narrative voice to use two techniques that portray the time; archaic lexis and verbose sentences. This is primarily seen in dialog within the text, for example “to take my hand, and Mother’s hand, tomorrow noontide?”. The noun ‘noontide’ is archaic, and the sequence ‘my hand, and my Mother’s hand’ is pleonastic, giving the text an overall realistic and dated sense. The purpose is to make a strong definition between the parts of the novel based on real events that happened and fictional text.

Mystery is a theme running though the novel and particularly this passage; it is not until this far into the book that we are given a clue that Dimmesdale is Pearls father. This mystery adds to the gothic genre to the novel, as this mystery male haunts the novel.

Another predominant theme emphasised in this passage is family through Pearls curiosity, naivety and confusion about why Dimmesdale will not stand with her and her mother in front of the village the following day. This is a theme that Hawthorne emphasises throughout the novel and adds a sense of irony to the narrative as these three characters will never become a family.

The omniscience of the narrator becomes paramount within this passage. The narrator reveals Dimmesdales’ internal thoughts and concealed reactions specifically regarding his moral crisis. “all the dread of public exposure that had so long been the anguish of his life had returned upon him”. This gives the reader an insight and enables them to see what other characters do not know about each other. Sometimes the narrator gives us his own personal views, it is important to remember this is only his opinion and it is not always correct or to be followed.

The main devices used in Scarlett Letter are themes and imagery related to religious beliefs and cosmic imagery. It is clear even the use of cosmic imagery is to emphasise the religious beliefs of the time that this novel is based upon. Religion is so important to this novel, as Hawthorne has almost written the novel in apology for his ancestor’s action and the hurt they caused people due to their beliefs.

Charles Dickens Use of Imagery, Language, Theme and Narrative Technique in Hard Times

Hard Times is a novel, written to reflect the Victorian era, through its realism. The novel comments on contemporary crisis and captures the essence of the industrial era, presenting ways in which it brought about change to the working class. The chapter, from which the passage I will be analysing is taken, is the introduction of the character Stephen Blackpool, one of the few ‘Hands’ whom is introduced. The chapter evokes the readers’ sympathy for the character as Dickens describes his conversation with Rachel, expressing his frustration in his marital situation.

Dickens uses the metonym ‘Hands’ to identify Blackpool and the working class people like him; the use of this colloquial term demoralises and dehumanises the people it describes, talking of them as machines more than humans who breath and feel. This mechanisation of people is a main theme within Hard Times. Dickens seems to suggest that the industrialisation of England in the 19^th century, take away the natural traits of humans such as emotions and ideas, and turn them into machines. This idea is particularly displayed by Gradgrind and his school. Therefore Dickens uses the term ‘Hands’ to describe the effect that the industrialisation has had on these people, showing, through characters like Louisa, that a life without these human qualities would be insufferable and making the reader sympathise with the ‘Hands’, particularly Blackpool.

A theme that is drawn upon in the chapter from which this passage is taken from is femininity.  Dickens suggests that because females are supplemented with traits like empathy, morals, and emotional sensitivity, women can act to oppose the way that industrialisation is trying to turn characters into machines. Rachael’s strength inspires Blackpool to continue his job at the factory and Rachael is described as a guiding angel to Blackpool.  This would therefore suggest that Louisa’s harsh upbringing meant she was unable to develop these natural feminine traits.

In the novel Dickens uses a mixture of direct and indirect characterisation in the novel to describe characters within the novel. In this passage he uses direct characterisation; he reveals Blackpool’s traits through description rather than implied meaning. This makes Blackpool the easiest character to relate to as he demonstrates the most worthy qualities; it is easy to become involved in his isolation and therefore to sympathise with him. Dickens use of believable characters helps with the realism he is trying to create, therefore making the novel more effective.

All the characters in Hard Times have one-dimensional characteristics yet also have sophisticated qualities of "real" people. This means that these characters have the same thoughts and ideas as we have, therefore adding verisimilitude allowing the audience to relate to their thoughts and emotions. One character described in this passage, Stephen Blackpool, does not follow this pattern, however, as he is singled out to be the only ‘Hand’ that is described in detail therefore Dickens seems to have chosen his character to be a representative for his social division.

“The hardest working part of Coketown” is described in reference to the industrialisation of the town. The description is a negative one, “where nature was as strongly bricked out as killing airs and gases were bricked in”. It is clear that Dickens is trying to point out the negative impact that industrialisation has had on the people and their personalities, but this paragraph goes beyond that, looking at the way this era has change the appearance of the town. I believe the change of the natural beauty being taken away and replaced with man-made substances is metaphoric of the change that the industry and individuals, such as Gradgrind, are trying to make upon the people of Coketown; they are having their natural qualities taken away from them and replaced with the cardboard personalities that Gradgrind wishes everyone to have.

The narrator in Hard Times limited omniscience. This is clear as he persistently has an overview of everything that is going on yet on occasions he incorrectly ventures into characters thoughts and feelings, which suggests he is not always clear about what is going on. The narrator sometime makes moral judgements of the characters; this shows the reader he puts his own judgements into the text suggesting that his descriptions cannot always be taken as fact as he may be putting his own opinion in.

The narrative voice seems to contrast when talking about different characters, such as in this passage when talking about Blackpool, his tone appears to be sympathetic, conjuring sympathy from the reader, however when talking about Gradgrind, he appears to be almost mocking, creating a character that we do not care for.

This essay clearly demonstrates its place in the 19^th century, at a time of industrial revolution. The narrative gives off the impression that Dickens was not a great believer in the time and what it was doing to people, through the imagery created of Coketown before and after the change, through the theme of the mechanisation of people and through the narrative voice which clearly favours Blackpool who does not follow the follow the conventions of the model worker. 

Gothic forms in Jane Eyre

In the pre-1914 novel “Jane Eyre” the author Charlotte Bronte utilises a Gothic genre. Charlotte Bronte’s fiction (along with her sister; Emily’s) is seen by feminist critic Rosmary Jackson (1981) as a prime example of female Gothic, in which the author explores woman's roles within society and their home, which leads to the protagonists’ (in this case; Jane) dangerous attempts to challenge and undermine these roles. The female gothic genre, therefore, is a significant element within the narrative and Bronte applies the mysterious, the supernatural, the horrific and the romantic; to accentuate this. This blog will analyse the significance of the gothic forms used in Jane Eyre looking specifically at the use of; gothic paraphernalia, supernatural events, death scenes, the heroine, the male tyrant, other evil woman and good lover.

Gothic paraphernalia is first shown in the novel in the form of the red room. Imagery is used to represent this room as secret, prison like, but particularly to give the room an overall feeling of horror. Jane describes the red room as having “curtains of deep red damask” and “crimson cloth”. Jane could be using these descriptions as a metaphor for blood, linking the red room to death. The reader is then made aware that the late Mr Reed- Jane’s uncle died in there and Jane has images of him haunting the room. This supernatural event that Jane imagines adds to the gothic genre, which increases the feeling of horror that the room is already associated with. Jane's descriptions of the red room and her fear of it when inside, creates a feeling of empathy for her from the readers, especially considering her young age and circumstance.

Pathetic fallacy is used throughout the novel. It is particularly crucial in this scene as the “rain still beating continuously on the staircase window, and the wind howling in the grove behind the hall” gives the room a dark and unfriendly impression. All these elements are gothic traits and give the reader an insight into the future gothic themes in the plot.

Although the novel carries no evidence of supernatural occurrences, allusions of apparently supernatural happenings are frequently mentioned such as in the red room scene when she senses the ghost of her uncle, her ears fill with sound which she said she ”deemed the rushing of wings; something seemed near me…”. These all give the novel a lack of realism and a feeling of the supernatural, contributing to the gothic genre. Ghost like images are used later on in the novel, when the character Bertha appears, as when in Jane's room trying on the veil, she is described as pale and ghostly.

Whilst in the red room Jane glances into the looking-glass which distorts her appearance; she claims to see a “strange little figure” who is “half fairy, half imp”.  In her book “Gilbert and Gubar The Madwoman in the Attic After 30 Years”, Federico concludes the self-image presented by Jane in the mirror is in fact her division of perception and identity. (page 99)   At this stage in the novel, Jane is only a child therefore the audience can expect some her to imagine fantasies and unrealistic imagery, yet the use of fairies and elves continues through the novel, for example later on Rochester calls Jane a fairy. This makes it clear that Bronte’s use of these supernatural beings are not simply to show Jane's age, but relate it to the gothic element of the book.

Another example of the use of gothic paraphernalia is the description of Thornfield Hall. The idea of it being an ancestral home gives it a gothic feel. The décor is dark, dated and, laboured with secrets and memories of the past creating an archaic and enigmatic vision of a gothic castle image. Bronte again uses supernatural images describing the strangest human beings “strange, indeed, by pallid gleam of moonlight”, making the house seem almost haunted, certainly adding to the gothic effect.

Later in her description of the house, Jane comments on the passages and the house having trap doors “like a corridor in some of Bluebeard’s castle”. The illusion Bronte gives of the French fairy-tale provides a foreshadow of what Jane is to find behind the door later in the novel, whilst also using pre-gothic plot to deepen her novel, giving it a more intense gothic feel. Like Bluebeard who has one of wives dead body behind a secret door, the reader later becomes aware that behind one of the doors in Thornfield Hall, is Rochester’s mad wife Bertha.

Thornfield as a gothic castle is reinforced by the strange laugh from the attic door. The description of laugh by Jane makes the laugh appear unnatural as if it was coming from something that wasn’t human for example she says “the laugh was tragic, as preternatural a laugh as any I ever heard”, therefore even before Bertha is found, Jane is aware of the possibility of a supernatural being in the house, This foreshadows a more complex and disturbing explanation to come in the future, when Jane finally meets Bertha.

The end of the novel emphasises the gothic imagery used for Thornfield. The house being burnt down connotes a ruined castle a typical element of a gothic novel along with the use of fire also seen in the middle of the novel when Grace Poole sets alight Rochester’s bed sheet. This adds a very dark element which also foresees the end of Bertha by fire and almost the end of Rochester. Fire is used in gothic literature to play with human fears- fire is uncontrollable and unknown.

Contradicting gothic forms, the novel is set in England a setting that is not exotic which is not typical of gothic literature.

In Jane Eyre, the chestnut tree is mentioned several times. Between pages 284-319; when Rochester proposed below it, the Chestnut tree is portrayed to have supernatural powers; Jane speaks of it as if it is a person asking “what ailed the chestnut tree? It writhed and groaned”. The day following the proposal Adele makes Jane aware that it was struck by lightning, and that half of it had split away. Bronte indicates that the chestnut tree could have powers that foreshadow the separation of Rochester and Jane that followed the next day and the disaster and danger for the couple that lay ahead of them, almost as if nature is predicting human fate.

The appearance of the fortune-teller gives the novel a sense of the supernatural which is particularly gothic. A noticeable trait in Jane Eyre is that all that is supernatural in the book turns out to be nothing out of the ordinary for instance, in this situation the fortune –teller turns out to be Rochester and the unnatural events that occur end up being the mad woman in the attic and although this is strange, there is an explanation behind it. Bronte could have decided to oppose the gothic form of supernatural in her novel to remain a sense of realism, as large parts of the novel relate heavily to Bronte’s own life therefore she could see it as important to keep it realistic.

Bronte uses the gothic form; death throughout her novel, but the predominant example is the death of Helen Burns, Jane's friend at Lowood. The death if Helen contrasts with Jane's fears shown previously in the novel regarding ghosts, death and supernatural. The conversation Helen and Jane have previous to Helens death regarding God and afterlife is unlike any conversation Jane has had with anyone else in the novel. It adds an emotional thought provoking scene to the novel.

The idea of Jane being imprisoned in the red room is gothic and adds to part of the horror of the book. This imprisonment also mirrors Bertha being locked in the red room. Gilbert and Gulbar (1979) believe that the imprisonment of Jane is to give the reader insight into the end of the novel, again this foreseeing the future relates to the gothic genre.

In the novel, it is clear from the beginning that Jane is the heroine and upon her arrival it is clear that Bertha is one of the ‘evil other woman’ in the story.  When comparing the two characters, Jane becomes a symbol of purity and innocence in comparison to the deranged figure Bertha is portrayed to be.

Jane is portrayed as the damsel in distress in parts of the novel which is a gothic form, but also adds a fairy-tale feel. For example when Jane flees, John Rivers finds her and gives her a place to rest. Jane is domineered by the novel by Rochester upon their first introduction although throughout the rest of the novel, it is women not men who domineer her; Aunt Reed and Bertha, which is unusual for gothic novels.

Components within the narrative of Jane Eyre follow the conventional structure of a gothic novel. Starting with the romance between Jane and Rochester followed by her desperate flee to get away from him and Thornfield- the sight of the romance. This escape is needed in the novel so that at the end of the narrative, after many tests and horrific encounters the heroine is reunited with the person she loves and can return to her castle-Thornfield. The typical happily ever after is a conventional trait within gothic novels but in Jane Eyre, Bronte modifies this, as her character does not return to her castle but does her to her lover.

In the novel, it is clear that Rochester is the male tyrant who later in the novel becomes he good lover. The description Jane gives in the scene she first meets Mr Rochester is typical gothic. The pale moon against the road, the lit hills and valleys introduce the male hero against a this gothic. Rochester is further marked by dark red, purple or fire imagery later on.

Jane Eyre combines conventions of gothic literature and also romanticism. Like most romantic novels, initially the two protagonists hide their feelings and cannot be together. Rochester and Jane are attracted to each other but the obstructions in their love story are their conflicting personalities, Blanche-the other woman, and the norms of society which mean that a governess and her employer should not be together. The gothic twist to this is the mad wife; Bertha. Bronte’s twist to the narrative makes it different to any other gothic/romantic novel.

Jane Eyre uses may forms of the gothic genre in order to create emotion and get an audience reaction. The most common gothic form Bronte is uses is Jane's descriptions of Thornfield Hall, which creates gothic paraphernalia, giving the audience an image of a gothic castle, especially at the end after the fire when the image of a ruined castle is given. The use of supernatural is another gothic element Bronte uses a lot in the book, although as discovered, she has put her own twist on the use of gothic forms within the book and every supernatural event has an explanation. There are other twists within the novel evolving round Brontes use of gothic forms as discussed therefore I believe it is clear that although Jane Eyre is a gothic novel, the way Bronte uses and changes it makes the narrative very different from other gothic literature.

Bibliography

Brontë, Charlotte 1847. Jane Eyre, Hertfordshire, Wordsworth Edition Limited 1992.

Federico, Annette, R., 2009. Gilbert and Gubar The Madwoman in the Attic After 30 years, University of Missouri Press, Columbia.

Gilbert, Sandra and Gubar, Susan, 1979. The Madwoman in the Attic, London, Yale University Press.

Jackson, Rosemary, 1981. Fantasy: The Literature of Subversion, London, Routledge.

Dream sequence in Wide Sargasso Sea and relationship to narrative

Rhys’ predominant use of dreams in Wide Sargasso Sea is to link the novel to Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. In both novels, dreams are a key device used to foresee future events in the plot and give the audience insight into the characters concealed or unexpressed thoughts and emotions therefore the purposes of the dreams in both are parallel.

The styles of Jane and Antoinette’s dreams are entirely dissimilar however; Antoinette’s dreams always appear confused and disorderly in comparison to Jane’s, that are tidy and contained. This could be an allusion to the mindset of these two characters as Antoinette is repeatedly portrayed as a mad woman in Jane Eyre, explaining her jumbled mind and narrations, whereas, although Antoinette is seen to mirror Jane’s interior motifs, Jane’s inner emotions always remain concealed making her appear more contained.

Another difference in the two characters dreams’ is that Jane’s reflects upon her waking life yet the line between dreaming and reality remains distinct.  Conversely Antoinette’s dreams appear to leak into her waking life, which gives the novel an ephemeral quality. For example Rochester tells Antoinette that Granbois is quite unreal and like a dream; even his narrations seem dreamlike- “I began to walk quickly then stopped because the light was different. A green light…” (Rhys 1966, 86) the green light being unusual and having a cosmic potency that Rochester is alert and cautious towards.

The use of dreams also follows the gothic style that both Wide Sargasso Sea and Jane Eyre adopt, as dreams are a central device used in creating a dilemma of duality – opposing forces within the characters and the worlds they inhabit dividing them.

As already stated I wish to focus particularly on the second dream, which occurs when Antoinette is 17 years old. I believe there is importance in the audience knowing her age in terms of the narrative as it shows the audience Antoinette’s development both in her intelligence and psychologically.

This is shown predominantly through the clarity of context and plot in the second dream in comparison to the first, for example, in the first dream Antoinette says she “was walking in the forest” with “someone who hated me”, demonstrating both the ambiguous nature of her dreams at this stage and her undeveloped understanding. Antoinette illustrates a greater intelligence and awareness of the events in the second dream increases as she describes “walking through the forest at Coulbri” with as “man” who is “black with hatred.” (Rhys 1966, 50)

Rhys’s use of tense shows how Antoinette has grown up and developed as a character. In the first dream past tense is used suggesting that she tries to distance herself from her dream consciousness, whereas in the second dream past tense is used possibly showing she has grown closer to it.

 Dreams have an historic relationship with the act of foretelling, providing the reader with a glimpse of the future. I feel that Rhys uses Antoinette’s dreams to give the reader and characters an insight into events that are going to prevail later on in the novel. Looking particularly at dream two, I believe that specific artefacts are used to connote others that are due to appear in her future. For example she’s wearing a long dress which she describes as “white and beautiful” which sounds similar to a wedding dress possibly describing her marriage to Rochester, as after seeing the mans “face black with hatred” she says “Now I do not try to hold my dress, it trails in the dirt, my beautiful dress.” This situation in her dream is allegorical of what is to come in her marriage. Her dress describes her marriage; that once she cared for it, it was beautiful, but this man, who I believe represents Rochester, is full of hatred so the marriage becomes ruined and she no longer wishes to look after it. (Rhys 1966, 50).

This could be Rhys’s way of forewarning Antoinette of the troubles she is to face when she meets Rochester and preparing the reader for this moment.

The dream also describes him leading her away, she says “We are no longer in the forest but in an enclosed garden surrounded by a stone wall and the trees are different trees. I do not know them.” (Rhys 1966, 50)

This appears to reflect the way Rochester later takes her away from Coulbri, to Thornfield, where she knows nobody and feels trapped. The “enclosed garden” could signify either England itself or the room Rochester locks her in.

The second dream appears to imply that Antoinette’s ideas and thoughts on sexuality are also developing; she speaks about her dress: “It is white and beautiful and I don't wish to get it soiled.” The idea of it being white and beautiful could signify her sexual innocence; therefore her desire to not get it soiled would represent her wishing to keep this virtuousness and not let it be tarnished by Rochester. Mary lon Emerys’ book supports this idea, she says “The dirtying of her white dress and her fall suggest a loss of innocence”. (Emery 1990, 55)

The male who is leading her into the woods seems to guide her away from purity, she says; “This must happen.” This suggests she is reluctant to be led astray by this male yet is forced to believe she has no choice.

Overall therefore I believe the novel uses dreams mainly to link it to Jane Eyre and the gothic theme this book also uses. The dreams also help Rhys compare Anoinettes’ mindset with Janes’, and show the development Antoinette makes in terms of her intelligence, psychologically and also her sexuality.

These ideas all stem from the way in which I have interpreted the novel and its use of dreams. Sigmund Freuds psychoanalysis on dreams, however, explains that dreams are “overdetermined” – established by more than one factor from our unconscious minds and everyday life (Freud 1961, 316). For this reason there is no one explanation or meaning for symbols within dreams because of their many associations; showing that these are only my views and interpretations of what the dreams mean.

Bibliography

Brontë, Charlotte 1847. Jane Eyre, Hertfordshire, Wordsworth Edition Limited 1992.

Emery, Mary Leon 1990. Jean Rhys at “World’s End”, Austin, University of Texas Press.

Freud, Sigmund 1961. The interpretation of dreams, London, Plain Label Books.

Rhys, Jean 1966. Wide Sargasso Sea, Middlesex, Penguin Books Ltd.

Light and Darkness in Conrads Heart of Darkness

From the beginning of the novella it appears as if everything is covered in darkness. In most examples however, this darkness appears to be metaphorical rather than literal, giving the impression that rather than Conrad using it primarily to describe the imagery, he also may be using it to connote other ideas to the reader. Conrad’s novella is allegorical of the Dark Age in which it was written as the novella was published in the 19^th century when Africa was known as ‘the dark continent’. The context of this is 1807 when the act for the abolition of the slave trade was brought into England, although I believe that the book looks at the darkness of the Europeans' cruel treatment of the natives.  

The novella begins then returns to darkness. Before Marlow has even begun to speak, the sun is setting and dark clouds hang over them. This automatic use of darkness gives the audience the idea that it is not an optimistic novel, that darkness frames the narrative. In fact, it appears that all three countries described (Africa, England and Brussels) are connoted as dark and somewhat depressed even when the sun is shining.

Weather conditions in Heart of Darkness seem to be used to create a dark unsafe feel. Fog is an outcome to darkness. It is not only used to show darkness, but also to give the characters and also the story a kind of distort feeling: when Marlow’s steamer is caught in the fog, although he is not lost, the fog gives him a lack of direction. He can only see so far ahead of him therefore he must make assumptions as to whether or not he is safe even though has no idea on what is further ahead. The assumptions made in this book usually end up wrong as in this example, once the fog has cleared, his steamer is surrounded by the natives who fire at him.

Staying still with the jungle, when Marlow sailed through, it was extremely dark and sinister, the manager's uncle described the jungle as a "profound darkness", Marlow then describes his ships as voyaging deeply into the "heart of darkness." Implying that the overall darkness in the novel centres around the jungle.

Again looking at the way that darkness is automatically introduced at the beginning of the novel, Marlow speaks of how he was thinking about the years when the Romans were on the Thames. The end of the Romans again links to darkness; the collapse of the Roman Empire was known as the Dark Age. He links this back to how London was a large, popular, wealthy empire at this time yet was still a dark place which I believe could link to Kurtz, as he was wealthy due to the ivory, and his popularity was shown though his native follows, yet people thought he was mad, and his life was quite dark; he’s left everything he’d known and was left with a large amount of hatred in his life. I believe that also the Romans success at conquering the savage Britons is equivalent in the book to the Belgians conquering the savage Africans.

Both Kurtz and Marlow experience a drift between life and death, Kurtz however doesn’t come past this stage. Death therefore is important to the theme of darkness in the novel. Although Kurtz’s last words “the horror, the horror” appear to be unexpectedly meaningful, they are totally empty due to the vagueness. They could, however be read as his acknowledgement of his misguided life or a depiction of his inner darkness; he expresses himself before he dies although the context of them is not explained therefore they resist interpretation. Death and the darkness in the novel join, when Marlow blows out the candle he had brought in as Kurtz is dying and night falls around the ship. Death is also used in the novel when he visits the grove where the men are dying. Marlow, in this part of the book, is the light as although he is not particularly tender, he offers them all biscuit in want to help.

My conclusion is that in the novel there appears to be a real lack of light. As if the darkness in the novel is too strong for any light to come through. The novels context parallels the time in which it was written looking at the abolition of the slave trade and also as African as ‘the dark continent’ but also uses history for comparison through the use of the Roman empire at the beginning. I have also noticed how dark appears more in the novel metaphorically than literally connoting the mood of characters and the time. Like Freud, Conrad’s interests are in the soul, it is for this reason that I believe he decided to show in the novella, the deep darkness within every human being for committing scandalous acts of evil.