CIVILIZATION AND SAVAGERY IN CONRADS

HEART OF THE DARKNESS

WITH SOME REFERENCES TO GOLDINGs
LORD OF THE FLIES



BY


Enas Subhi
Asst. instructor
English language dept.
College of education for women


2010
2
Civilization and Savagery in Conrads
Heart of the Darkness
With Some References to Goldings
Lord of the Flies
by
Enas Subhi
Asst. instructor
English language dept. College of education for women

Abstract
Joseph Conrads Heart of the Darkness (henceforth HOD)
implies that every man has a heart of darkness that is usually
drowned out by the light of civilization and that same heart might
has the tendency to revert to savagery. Man is able to throw off the
restraints of civilization and may be able to de-evolve into
primitive state. This research will shed light on the relationship
between civilization and savagery as it is reflected on the
relationship between the civilized man and the barbarity that boils
beneath the surface of every human being. Marlow and Kurtz are
two opposite examples of the human condition. Marlow represents
the civilized soul that has not been drawn back into savagery by a
dark, alienated jungle while it is Kurtz who has totally followed his
own intrinsic desires with a protective, civilized environment. So
this research will tackle all circumstances that lead to mans
deterioration towards the worst condition in life. Joseph Conrads
HOD sets beautifully the setting and symbols that clarifies its
major theme namely civilization and savagery. At the same level
of success, William Golding presents another picture of
civilization and savagery in his novel Lord of the Flies which will
be mentioned at the last part of the research in a short comparative
study.



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1.1 Forward
Joseph Conrads HOD shows the disparity between the
European ideal of civilization and the reality of it. It displays the
domination, torture, exploitation and dehumanization of the
African people. Although the European believes that they have had
reached the height of civilization, yet the reader of this novel can
picture how savage the European seem. They are cruel and devious
towards the very people they are supposed to be helping. Joseph
Conrad will portray the theme of civilization and savagery smartly
through using certain setting that would exhibit his theme clearly.
Moreover, he has depicted certain settings and symbols to
represent his abstract ideas and concepts about civilization and
savagery.

1.2 The Setting
In HOD, each device used by the author adds to the theme of
the novel. The setting, for example, is a vessel where the author
pours his ideas concerning the theme of civilization and savagery
beautifully. Robert S. Ryf comments that:

One of the principle things one sees in Conrads fiction is the
relationship between man and his environment. Put visually, this is the
linkage, by image and symbol between inner and outer landscapes.
External landscape is itself, in most cases, symbolic. Whether river or sea,
jungle or sprawling city, it serves as representation of the inscrutable and
labyrinthine complexity of human experience and the power of the
irrational in Conrads universe.
1


Conrad places the novels setting on a steamboat on a river
near London, on the Thames River, the Nellie, a cruising yawl,
swung to her anchor without a flutter of the sails, and was at rest
2
.
Events of the story also take place in Brussels at the Companys
offices and the Congo, then a Belgian territory. To get a full grasp
of the novella, one must first undertake the history behind the
Congo and its colonization by the Belgians. Ian Watts puts it
clearly saying that:
5

As a result of ruthless colonial exploitation, involuntary servitude, and
direct violence, the native people live in an impoverished state. As many
as six million Africans died during the brutal rubber trade, overseen by the
Belgians. Many are forced to be carriers, for people on jungle
expeditions that need to move cargo from one place to another. These
packages they carry on their backs, on rough foot paths through the jungle,
weigh between 40 and 70 pounds. There are few, if any, breaks to stop and
rest. It is a hard life, but, as far as helping to smuggle ivory out, or carry
supplies into the jungle nation. The recurring theme of darkness (a symbol
for the reality of the society and fear) perpetuate the action, and ultimately
envelops the characters that struggle with this dilemma such as Kurtz. The
message is the same however: colonization destroys at the native peoples
expense; close-minded European views perpetuate racism in these nations,
and evil is a driving and yet sometimes unnoticed force
3
.

The Thames River is called a gateway to civilization-
because it leads to the civilization of London. It is important to
note that the city is always described in stark contrast with its dark
surroundings, which are so amorphous as to be either water or
land. Darkness is always associated with getting deeper in that
jungle or talking about uncivilized beings. Getting there (in the
jungle) reminds Marlow that London itself was one of the darker
places of the earth
4
before the Romans forced civilization upon
them. Marlow adds that darkness was here yesterday
5
. In HOD,
Conrad makes it clear that though the setting is the Congo and
more generally Africa, but then we remember that Marlow is
telling or recalling the story of his own travel once on the Thames
in England which, much like the Congo, is also a river. It is almost
as if the Thames River is made parallel to the Congo River. In part
one, Conrad mentions that England was a place of primitive
darkness
6
. Then he declares it clearly at the last part when he says
that the Thames River leads into the heart of an immense darkness.
Conrads HOD is imbued or burdened with deeper and more
profound meaning. It is not about the physical darkness of the
Africans moreover, it is about the moral darkness of the
Europeans. Rolf A. F. Witzsche states it beautifully suggesting
that:
6
Nature of the black of the Heart of Darkness is like a black hole in space
sucks surrounding planets into its pit of gravity sucks all that is human out
of society by which civilization becomes devoid of life and disintegrates
into nothing7.

Conrad despises the Europeans arising strength from the
weakness of others though he believes that the Europeans have
right to conquer the earth and take it away from those who have
different complexion
8
. Ian Stronach stresses the idea of
imperialisation as a central need for those European and/or white
and insists that HOD is visually performed as a kind of neo-
imperial subconscious even as it is simultaneously denied in
words
9
.
Successfully, the narrator portrays the river sand banks,
marshes and forests. He invites the reader all the time to feel like
he is there also through vivid description and vital images. Marlow
states it fascinated me as a snake would a bird.. a silly little
bird
10
and he adds that the river is dead in the
centerfascinatingdeadlylike a snake
11
.
Conrad portrayal of his setting is overwhelming. The setting
is a mixture of contradictory pictures. There the earth seemed
unearthlythere you could look at anything monstrous and
free
12
. He personifies the river so many times arguing that he has
a treacherous appeal to the lurking death, to the hidden evil, to the
profound darkness of its heart
13
. This place and such atmosphere
shed its harmful effect on the human psyche as there is harmony
between humanity and nature. Getting deeper into that river would
bring feeling of uncomfortable and uneasiness inside the
characters. Marlow declares that Going up the river was like
travelling back to the earliest beginnings of the worldthe air was
warm, thick, heavy, and sluggish. There was no joy in the
brilliance of sun shine
14
. The setting here foreshadows the coming
events and actions. Marlow ensures that there was something
ominous in the atmospheresome conspiracysomething not
quite right
15
.
7
It is clear that this place does not welcome the new intruders
though it seems smiling
16
sometimes but it is frowning
17
at the
same time it is inviting the beholder whispering Come and find
out
18
for it is the true ivory-country
19
. What matters in that place
is money only. People go there only to turn an oversea empire,
and make no end of coin by trade
20
. There people turn to be devils
of violence, of greed and of hot desires. Thus turn to exploit the
natives like ants
21
who are unfortunately drawn in moral
darkness. John Storey explains that:

This moral darkness of Africa, we learn later is not the simple darkness of
the ignorance of the natives, but of the white men who blinded themselves
and corrupted the natives by their claim to be the light bearers. On this
return to Europe, Marlow finds it shrouded in the darkness symbolized by
Africa and the mean and greedy phantoms sauntering on it22.

In spite of Conrads sever attacks and blames on Europeans
greediness and selfishness, he as a noble white man who defends
and justifies some of the British behaviours in the Congo:

Conrad makes an extraordinary suggestion that England, for no other
reason did that than to protect its own commercial interests, should
intervene against Belgian activities in the Congosometimes Conrads
response to Belgium imperialism is a curious mixture of moral outrage
and commercial concern23.


Obviously, darkness in HOD is associated with savagery,
while light is associated with civilization, but it is not what we find
truly after close reading to the underline meanings of words.
Civilization is superficial as is seen with the General Manager who
has a stealthy smile. He does not inspire love or fear. He only
inspires uneasiness. The revealing of these mens predatory nature
points to the theme of inchoate savagery. Conrad suggests that
there are integral connections among mind, body, and nature,
which underlines the issue here; the lines between the civilized and
the savage are blurred. The two men propose a very savage
8
solution to a seemingly civilized problem of economic
competition.
The Congo has a metamorphic effect on the Europeans at
least in mind and perhaps also in body. Marlow sees the evil uncle:

extend his short flipper of an arm for a gesture that seemed to beckon
with a dishonouring flourish before the sunlight face of the land a
treacherous appeal to the lurking death, to the hidden evil, to the profound
darkness of its heart
24
.

This is one of the few instances in which a white man is
animalized in this novella: The land is a living entity, one which
has the potential to create evil, or to merge man back in nature.
The properties observed by the manager are all completely
faked. Marlow takes this as an illustration of his hollowness. One
of Marlows more personally distressing thoughts is his realization
that the monstrous tendencies of the black cannibals are not
inhuman tendencies, after all; the white men possess them in
different form. The African land serves to equalize persons in that
what often matters most are wit and determination.
Thus, the Europeans are far more savage than those whom
they label as such.

1.3 The Character
Civilization and savagery are embodied in HOD characters. It
is clear that to the Europeans the native inhabitants of the Congo
are subhuman; they are savages in the basest sense of the word.
Marlows aunt, who uses her influence to help him gaining
employment with the company, speaks of those ignorant
millions
25
who need to be saved from their horrid ways
26
.
During Marlows stay at the central station a native is beaten for
supposedly setting fire to one of the company hats. His cries elicit
no pity from one of the company workers, who remarks: what a
row the brute makes! [] Serve him right. Transgression-
punishment-bang! Pitiless, pitiless. Thats the only way.
27
The
9
mans remarks suggest that the stations agent agents see the
natives as no better than animals. Even Marlow buys into to this
line of thinking, for he likens the native in charge of running the
steamboats boiler to a dog in a parody of breeches and a feather
hat walking on his hind legs.
28

Marlows the main character in HOD, often recognizes the
European dehumanization of the Africans. As Marlow approaches
the company offices of the outer station he sees a scene of
inhabited devastation.
29
He catches sight of a chain gang of half
starved, animal-like Africans. Trying to rationalize the situation,
Marlow tells himself that these Africans are criminals, and
somehow deserve their late. As he descends further down the hill,
he comes to a gloomy place-what he calls the Grove of Death
30
.
Many Africans lie dying, their bodies frail and starved. He then
turns and quickly removes himself from this horrible place. When
Marlow reaches the main building he encounters the accountant
dressed in nicely starched ironed cloths, a complete contrast from
the dying Africans outside. While Marlow is talking to the
accountant, a sick man groans in the background. The accountant
is so agitated by the interruptions that he says, when one has got
to make correct entries, one comes to hate those savageshate
them to death.
31
That leads to the following question who are the
real savages here? Although the clothing, money, and overall
appearance of the Europeans may look civilizing, their hearts are
dark with deception. Yet the novel depicts these savages in a far
more sympathetic light. For example, Marlow hires a group of
cannibals to help run the boat. Some of them cut wood, one
tends the boilers, and one steers the boat. Early in the journey
upriver, the cannibals main source of food, a hunk of rotting
hippopotamus meat, is thrown over board because of its offensive
smell. Thus, the cannibals are very hungry. It is true that when the
boat is fog-bound and the cannibals hear the loud cries from the
forest, they want to capture these other natives so they can eat
them. However, Marlow marvels over the cannibals tremendous
restraint. He notes that the cannibals outnumber the company men
10
thirty to five and he admits that they are strong, powerful men
who could easily overwhelm them, yet they dont attempt to harm
the company men. Such restraint is the mark of a civilized man,
not an animal. In addition, the natives demonstrate far more
concern for the welfare of Kurtz than do most of his country men.
True, they worship him, an act that would be seen as evidence of
their uncivilized or backward nature, yet they actively work to
ensure his safety.
Consequently, civilization and savagery is found in both
Europeans and the Africans as well. A powerful meditation on the
relationship between civilization and savagery Joseph
Conrads HOD reflects on the relationship between the civilized
man and the barbarity that boils, beneath the surface of every
human being. Seduced up the Congo River by spellbinding English
prose, the reader is immersed in a world stripped of all order where
chaos ensues and all civilized intentions are crushed before the
vengeful aspect of the heart of the land itself. It is a world of
beauty and terror, frightening and fascinating, every second
plunging the reader into a strange world of plants, water, and
silence.
32
There one might wrestle with death. Marlow states that
he contest one can imagine.
33
Then, he adds that:

It takes place in an impalpable grayness, with nothing underfoot, with
nothing around, without spectators, without glamour, without glory,
without the great desire of victory, without the great fear of defeat in a
sickly atmosphere of tepid skepticism, without much belief in your over
right, and still less in that of your adversary.34

Marlow believes that Kurtzs immersion in the wilderness has
fundamentally changed him. Living deep in the Congo, among the
savages and far from the structured life of society, Kurtz has
learned some deep, dark secret about the nature of life. It is a secret
that most people either cannot or will not hear. We know that,
initially at least, Kurtz is neither a bitter man nor a misanthrope.
His report to the International Society for the Suppression of
Savage Customs begins on a very humanitarian note. He has
11
altruistic motives and great hopes for the companys work; he
believes that Each station should be like a beacon on the road
toward better things, a center for trade of course but also
humanizing, improving, instructing. In essence, Europeans
coming to the Congo can have a positive impact on the region and
its inhabitants. We also learn that Kurtz is a cultured man: he
writes and recites poetry. The Russian tells Marlow about Kurtz
own
35
poetry which enlarged (his) mind
36
. Not only that but he
paints, and he is a musician also. In this way, Kurtz is an emissary
of western culture. He buys into the notion that Europe can help to
civilize the Congo. Yet, by the end of the report, after considerable
time spent in the wild, Kurtz concludes that Europeans must
Exterminate all the brutes!
37

In spite of Kurtzs moral darkness which is an
impenetratable
38
one, but he was victorious as well. Marlow in the
third part of the novel declared that Kurtz has achieved a moral
victory.
39
Kurtz has succeeded with the Africans they adored
him.
40
He himself has ordered the attack to be made on the
steamer because he hated sometimes the idea of being taken
away.
41
Kurtz impact on the white people is great also. The
manager considers him to be an exceptional man of the greatest
importance to the company.
42
The Africans obedience to Kurtz
frightens the company, they are afraid of his mental changes.
Mental changes are an important issue in HOD. Throughout his
journey, Marlow is afraid of these changes. He always recalls the
doctors note about that when the later states that it would be
interesting for science to watch the mental changes of individuals
on the spot
43
. Kurtzs mental changes have led the manager to
believe that Mr. Kurtz has done more harm than good to the
company.
44

Another white character with whom Marlow proves his
victory is the Russian who ensures that the savages are simple
people.
45
For Kurtz, the Russian and Marlow also, the Africans or
the black shapes
46
, as they all then, are not criminals, not
12
enemies they were nothing earthly nownothing but black of
disease and starvation, laying confusedly in the greenish gloom.
47

In HOD, Conrad uses light and darkness as a principle
element. Kurtzs impenetratable darkness is discovered by
Marlow who is an agent of light as Robert S. Ray beautifully puts
it:
Aware of the darkness in himself and fellow man, he recognizes the power
of the irrational and the presence of the ineffable. He sees at first-hand
mans potential for reversion into total darkness, but he sees as well the
flicker of light which is the moral vision and which, if only briefly, can
arrest the darkness.48

1.4 Civilization and Savagry as a linkage between Conrads Hear
of the Darkness and Goldings Lord of the Flies (henceforth LOF).
As in Conrads HOD, the central concern of LOF is the
conflict between two competing impulses that exist within all
human beings: the instinct to live by values, act peacefully, follow
moral command, and value the good of the group against the
instinct to gratify ones immediate desire, act violently to obtain
supremacy over others, and enforce ones will. This conflict might
be expressed in a number of ways: civilization vs. savagery, order
vs. chaos, law vs. anarchy, or in broader terms, good vs. evil.
Throughout both novels, Conrad and Golding associate the
instinct of civilization with good and the instinct of savagery with
evil.
In Goldings LOF, the conflict between the two instincts is
the driving force of the novel, explored through the dissolution of
the young English boys civilized, moral, disciplined behaviour as
they accustom themselves to a wild, brutal, barbaric life in the
jungle. LOF is an allegorical novel, which means that Golding
conveys many of his main ideas and themes through symbolic
characters and objects. He represents the conflict between
civilization and savagery in the conflict between the novels two
main characters: Ralph, the protagonist, who represents order and
leadership; and Jack, the antagonist, who represents savagery and
desire for power. As the novel progresses, Golding shows how
13
different people feel the influences of the instincts of civilization
and savagery to different degrees. Piggy, for instance, has no
savage feelings, while Roger seems barely capable of
comprehending the rules of civilization. Generally, however,
Golding implies that the instinct of savagery is far more primal and
fundamental to the human psyche that the instinct of civilization.
Golding sees moral behaviour many cases, as something that
civilization forces upon the individual rather than a natural
expression of human individuality. When let to their own devices,
Golding implies, people naturally revert to cruelty, savagery, and
barbarism.
When people lack the aspect of civility in their lives, they too
will lack the restraints and barriers it has on ones inner evil.
Civility, in essence, provides the basic structure for Good. Through
laws, structure, and general order, goodness then, for the most part
will be the end product. Therefore, a lack of civility would result in
a lack of order, morals, and laws, leaving chaos to over power. The
desolate island in JOF represents a lack of civility. Without
parents, law makers, and guardians the darkness which surfaces is
inevitable. Piggy said in a feared state upon this realization:

This is an island? Well I think is an island! Thats a reef out in the sea. That
means we are all alone! Perhaps there arent any grown ups anywhere.49

It is clear that the civilization of the modern world is
unavailable on the island. Although Ralph, who represents the
aspect of order, attempt to reach a point of civility, unfortunately is
unsuccessful. He said in his struggle: weve got to have rules and
obey them. After all were not savages. Were English, and the
English are the best at everything.
50
Ironically, the very group he
was taking to broke order and formed the savage group known as
the hunters. Similarly, Piggy too represents civility. He is very
fearful of the lack of civility and scared by the hunters. He feels
that civility and order, although the ideal route, was going to be
crushed: we cant do this, the savages, they would crush us.
51
It
14
is quite obvious how the potential evil in group of young boys
unavoidably arises due to the lack of restraint and order when the
darkness surfaces Jack and his group of hunters gains no self-
knowledge and therefore, can not stop their sufferings nor the evil
which takes over.
A strong parallel can be drawn between the island in LOF
and the Congo in HOD. The Congo in is similarly used to
represent the absence of restraint and order. The effect which is
used exemplifies a lack of civility which in turn provides the
opportunity for the emergence of darkness. At the beginning of the
novel, Marlow begins his descent into the Congo, which presents a
dark image of death and suffering:

It was a thing which looked as dead as the carcass of some strange animal.
I came upon more pieces of decaying machinery, and a stack of rusty rails.
To the left a clump of trees in a twisted shady spot, the ground shook.
52


The capacity for evil the jungle is endless. This is illustrated
through the natives who go mad and begin killing. Marlow
struggles but realizing his potential for good, manages to contain
his evil. Unfortunately, the result was not the same for many
others: I dont know how this would have struck the others but to
me the evil was unspeakable, but not undefeatable.
53
The Congo
and the lack of restraints it represents causes one to lose common
senses. Without common senses the mind is deteriorated. It is also
left twisted and functionally useless in regards to civilized thought
or action. The power of mind in most cases is no match for the lack
of order and the lack of reason for most of the Congos inhabitants.
Kurtz fells victim to this and his mind became extremely
deteriorated due to the lack of order. He eventually finds his inner
darkness come forth and essentially controls his thoughts and
actions.
By comparing the two novels, it is clear how ones inner
darkness will surface without the restraints of civilization. In the
case of Jack and hunters, the children are accustomed to civility,
laws and order. The fact that parents and teachers were always
15
placing unwanted rules on them, probably caused an initial
enjoyment of the lack of civility so much that the growing
savageness within grew blindly. The darkness was being to rise.
This is shown through Jack when asked about the war paint he was
wearing replied. for hunting! Like in the wars, you know, dazzle
paint! We look more savage!
54
This can be compared to the
darkness which surfaced in Kurtz and the natives of the Congo;
however, their darkness was the result of greed rather than
ignorance. Unlike Jack and the hunters, the greed for money and
power by Kurtz allowed his darkness which controlled him at the
end to surface. The ongoing evil growing in Kurtz was not only a
result of the jungle, but it was shown through it as well. As he
gained more darkness the jungle thickened and became
increasingly dangerous: as we crept on closer towards Kurtz
the snags were thickening and the water becoming
treacherous
55
If civilized limits are placed upon society as a
whole, the majority of people have the opportunity to contain the
darkness within. If and when it occasionally surface then the
knowledge which is gained through a civilized life style will
contain, and defeat the individuals darkness.
It is true that every person must undergo the ultimate test at
some point of his or her life time, the test between good and evil.
This test can be as simple as small, daily difficulties, or as large as
the general principle in which one bases his or her life upon.
Although many people will fail the test which is given to them, it is
better to attempt the test and fail, than it is never to have taken it at
all.
Ralph and Piggy, who also as well as representing
civility, now also represent the goodness, or the passers of this
test of life. Through the many alterations with the hunters, those
who have failed the test, we can observe the darkness beginning to
rise. The ultimate dark figures Jack, who hasnt even attempted the
test, that is to be satisfied with ones dark life style, shows how the
journey of life presents us with the tasks and trials which were
tested upon. Piggy perhaps is the character who is presented with
16
the most tests. Many times he almost lost his sense and civility, but
he always prevailed. Piggy, at the verge of losing his sense
murmured Nobody knows where we are! Perhaps they knew
before but they dont know now cos well never get there!
56
Not
soon after, however, Piggy regained his sensible approach to the
situation. It is impossible for one person to pass every test that life
gives them, but the important thing is that you learn from every
test, pass or fail, one must gain self-knowledge from each
altercation.
When Marlows time came to take his test, it was not
necessarily that he passed it, but more importantly he gains the
self-knowledge needed in order to defeat the darkness within him.
By containing his darkness and preventing the release of his evil,
he allows a certain degree of goodness to surface. The result of
ones ability to contain his or her darkness does not always equal
goodness, but instead, it represents the awareness gained from each
test. The natives show through their savagery and murderous ways
that they have subsequently failed to gain the desired self-
knowledge to maintain their goodness. Kurtz can be viewed as the
character in the novel who doesnt attempt to take lifes challenges
and at length seals his dark fate. Marlows first view of Kurtz
shows how the goodness and evil fail to co-exist together. Seeing
Kurtz for the first time, it was a distant glimpse:

The dugout, four padding savages, and the lone white man turning his
back suddenly on the head-quarters, on relief, on thoughts of home-
perhaps; setting his face towards the depths of the wilderness, towards his
empty and desolate station.57

Had Kurtz ever attempted the journey or test he was faced with
perhaps he may have seen things in a different light. The natives
on the other hand appear ignorant, but at the same time they appear
content with their life styles.
The two novels can be compared in many ways according to
the characters, and the tests they take along the journey of their
lives. Piggy and Ralph can be compared to Marlow in the fact that
17
they had either passed the test or clearly gained the self-knowledge
to prevent the potential darkness within themselves from escaping.
The two groups, the hunter and the natives can be similarly
compared in terms regarding the characters who attempted to take
the test but failed, an action which can, but not in these two cases,
result in self-knowledge. Finally, the two symbols of true darkness,
Kurtz and Jack. The darkness within them surfaced due to that fact
that not only did they fail to take the test of life, but they appeared
to be content with the situation that this left them in.
The evil which lies within all of us has a third and final way
of showing itself. This is exemplified through acts of commission
and through acts of omission. The actions which one commits, or
fails to commit, can act as a channel in which evil or darkness will
begin to show. The dark forces which lay in Jack and his group
were confirmed by their final direct actions. The actions which
reiterated the darkness in Jack was the murder of Piggy. The
murder was very brutal, and unnecessary. The rock that had killed
Piggy had bounded into the thicket and bounced there, landing in
the middle for all to see.
58
Not only had they committed the
murder but they indirectly reinforced their desire to deny
civilization, as Piggy represented this. Earlier in the novel when
Jack, and the hunters, directly disregarded civilization, they
performed their first act of omission. This coupled with the
savagery they possessed, showed a distinct lack of reason and
reality, two of the key components to maintaining ones inner
goodness. Finally, the murder of Simon, who represented the
Christ figure in the book, was the element which finalized Jacks
descent into irretrievable darkness.
Through the acts of commission and omission in HOD,it is
clear how the same actions, by separate people, can result in
different consequences. Marlow and Kurtz both live within the
treacherous Congo and are involved in the sales of ivory to gain
power and wealth. The greed and stubbornness shown by the two
men is very similar, but the result divers. Due to Kurtzs inner
darkness which had raised his down fall was evident, but through
18
Marlows ability to gain the self-knowledge required he was able
to prevent his evil from emerging, which in turn would lead to his
eventual demise. The natives on the other hand represent an
indirect act of omission in which they were unable to obtain any
knowledge when the evil within them begins to surface they begin
to break down mentally and physically. They become fierce, then
eventually cataclysmic. They allow their inner evil to take over,
and they lose all capacity to gain any self-knowledge, which may
have averted this catastrophe.
The characters in both novels again are comparative
with respect to direct and indirect actions. Marlow and Ralph,
through all the hardships and lack of civility, overcome the test of
life, and finally prevent their own actions from surfacing their
inner darkness. They are alike as they gain the essential knowledge
to prevent this potential evil from taking its course. The natives
and hunters find themselves in a situation in which, although they
have committed few actions, have by-passed the opportunity to
gain the smallest amount of knowledge, let alone the amount for to
prevent future evil occurrences. Finally, Kurtz and Jack through
their direct and deliberate actions place themselves in a position
where it is obvious that self-knowledge and controls them to
surface.

Conclusion:
In his novel Heart of the Darkness, Joseph Conrad asserts the
fact that every man has a heart of darkness covered by the light of
civilization, but this darkness will not surface unless given the
correct environment. Darkness signifies many concepts in Heart of
the Darkness and also in Lord of the Flies. It is always associated
with mystery, savagery and civilized beings and setting, while light
is associated with knowledge and civilization. Self-knowledge of
ones inner darkness prevents him from getting worst
consequences. This very self-knowledge with a suitable
environment set a healthy atmosphere for civilization. Marlow,
Ralph and Simon are given the opportunity by their authors to
19
reach a point of personal growth by overcoming their inner
darkness. Kurtz and Roger are defeated by their own inner
darkness associated by their wrong environment. In fact,
everybody has the potential for true goodness and evilness. The
journey in both novels can symbolize a human life time. One can
prevent inner darkness from surfacing if controlled by reason and
suitable environment.




























20
Notes

1
Robert S. Ryf, Joseph Conrad (New York &London: Columbia University Press, 1970) pp. 35-36.
2
Joseph Conrad, Heart of the Darkness. (URL:http://suns.te.berkerly.edu/literature/conrad/Heart of
Darkness/by the sunsite Manager) Retreived on June 30, 2010.
3
Ian Watts, Conrad in the Nineteenth Century (www.wmich.edu/dialogues/texts/heart of darkness.html)
4
Joseph Conrad, Heart of the Darkness. Part I, p.2.
5
Ibid.
6
Ibid.
7
Rolf A. F. Witzsche, Discovering Infinity light. Piercing the heart of Darkness the Demands of Truth and
Justice. Volume 4 (Canada: Cygni communication ltd., 2003) p.5.
8
Joseph Conrad, Heart of the Darkness, part I, p. 3
9
Ian Stronach, Englightenment and heart of darkness: neolimperialism in the Congo, and elsewhere (www.
Esri.mmu.ac.uk/respapers/papers.pdf/Congo-pdf) p.11.
10
Joseph Conrad, Heart of the Darkness. Part I
11
Ibid. part I.
12
Ibid. part II.
13
Ibid.
14
Ibid.
15
Ibid. part I.
16
Ibid.
17
Ibid.
18
Ibid.
19
Ibid.
20
Ibid.
21
Ibid.
22
Mohit Kumar, Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness (India. Nice Printing Press, 2006)p. 120.
23
John Storely, Culture and Power in cultural studies: The Politics of Signification) Great Britain,
Edinburgh University Press Ltd., 2010) pp. 154-5.
24
Conrad, part I.
25
Ibid. part II.
26
Ibid.
27
Ibid.
28
Ibid.
29
Ibid. part I.
30
Ibid.
31
Ibid. part II.
32
Ibid.
33
Ibid.
34
Ibid.
35
Ibid. part III.
36
Ibid.
37
Ibid.
38
Ibid.
39
Ibid.
40
Ibid.
41
Ibid. part II.
42
Ibid.
43
Ibid. part I.
44
Ibid. part III.
45
Ibid.
46
Ibid.
47
Ibid. part I.
48
Robert S. Ryf. P.19.
21

49
William Golding, Lord of the Flies (URL: http://sunsite. Berkeley.edu/literature/Golding/lord of the
flies/by Sunsit Manager). Retrieved on July 16, 2010.
50
Golding. P.4.
51
Ibid.
52
Conrad, part I.
53
Golding, p. 85.
54
Ibid., p. 71.
55
Conrad, part II.
56
Golding, p. 36.
57
Conrad, part III.
58
Golding, p. 230.