HoD - Third Correspondence (My prompt)

Throughout the entirety of Heart of Darkness, Marlow changes vastly from a completely civilized state of mind to having a “savage” quality about him. When Marlow first arrives to the outskirts of Africa, his mentality is that of an enlightened European, who had been raised “properly.” On his journey on the Congo River, Marlow is absolutely terrified of the possibility of damaging his boat and having to survive outside of his comfort zone. Before his expedition, a doctor told him to “beware of irritation more than the sun.” The sun is a big factor in Africa, especially the heart, The Congo, because it is directly on the equator, but irritation, meaning affects of the uncivil traits of Africa, will be worse on Marlow than the sun. Soon after Marlow mentions his desperate want for rivets, the steamboat hits a heavy current on the river and Marlow becomes immensely afraid of the possibility that the boat could be on its last leg, so to speak, and in turn, he would have been on his last leg.

Without the boat, Marlow would have to survive off of his internal instincts, and that was considered to be “savage” and in the wrong by the Europeans. The farther into the Congo Marlow traveled, the more uncomfortable he became, but subconsciously, he gained more of a knowledge of the people in the Congo. For instance, he eventually realizes that the inhabitants of Africa are just has human as those who invaded their home. As a result, Marlow recognizes the fact that what the Europeans are doing is inhumane and not at all a way to go about colonization.

The heart of Africa is where the least civilized people live, and the more primitive and traditional tactics of life are still utilized. Initially, such tactics simply scared Marlow, but after truly experiencing the Congo, himself, he is not nearly as bothered by the primordial actions and lifestyles of the Africans. How did Marlow’s views and personal traits transform after his conquest to the Congo? What triggered him to change and how did he change? Did the recognition of true corruption change him or was it a change within himself that initiated a change of…heart?