Heart of Darkness Theme of Identity

Perhaps one of the most terrifying aspects of Heart of Darkness is the dehumanization of its characters. Conrad shows this by sucking the humanity out of his villains – the manager, the accountant, the brickmaker, and Kurtz. At some point in the text, each character lacks some fundamental human characteristic – whether it is compassion, understanding, or (Marlow’s favorite) restraint. This suggests that at some level, these characters have been so degenerated by their own greed and their time in the interior that they have become less than human. They are shells of their former selves, hollow within.

1. How is Africa a place of emptiness from the perspective of a white European man? How are even places of civilization – cities and trading stations – void of European amenities and values?
2. What characters lack essential human characteristics? How do they show their fundamental emptiness?
3. How are the white pilgrims deprived of their senses and reason as they descend deeper and deeper into the interior?
4. What essential characteristics or understanding do both Marlow and Kurtz lack? How does this affect their interpretation of the events toward the end? It may be helpful to look at their comments about language here.

Men go into the interior whole and unscathed, but while living there, the hostile wilderness drains them of their humanity.