Heart of Darkness

Heart of Darkness pg 52 (Emily F: March 28th, 2008)
Heart in the Darkness is a novella by Joseph Conrad and was published in 1902. Narrated by an unnamed character, Heart in the Darkness tells the story of a search of the enigmatic Kurtz by five men aboard a ship called Nellie. These five men trade sea stories to pass the time as they travel into the heart of the African jungle. The main character is Charlie Marlow and soon enough he is thrown into a psychological and physical journey as he discovers how the Kurtz had gained his power and influence over the local people. This discovery leave’s Marlow struggling to comprehend his experience and forces him to question not only his own nature and values, but also the nature and values of his society. However, before Marlow begins his story, the narrator explains the history of exploration and conquest of the Kurtz. He mentions Sir Francis Drake and his ship the Golden Wind, which had travelled around the globe by the end of the 16th century, and Sir John Franklin, who disappeared on his expedition to North America in the Arctic Ocean during the 19th century.

Joseph Conrad is one of the most recognized 20th century English novelists. Born on December 3rd, 1857, Conrad was originally named Jozef Konrad Nalecz Korzeniowski. His father, a writer and translator, was of Polish nobility but political movements against the Russian Oppression led to his exile. Conrad became an orphan at a young age and was then raised by his uncle. At the age of 17, he set out for the sea, an experience that he expressed in his fictional tales. The novella Heart in the Darkness is arguably his most distinguished and influential piece of work that also inspired a motion picture Apocalypse Now. Having accomplished thirteen novels, two volumes of memoirs, and twenty-eight short stories, Joseph Conrad died on August 3, 1924 in England.

In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Christopher Boone refers to Joseph Conrad’s novella when he describes how short stories, although may not have a lot in quantity, can still be just as good as longer ones. Christopher Boone first hears about the novella from his mentor Siobhan.