When Marlow leaves Brussels for the Congo, the realities en route are an integral part of the portrayal of imperialism: "the merry dance of death and trade goes on." The whole city seems to Marlow "a whited sepulchre." Its deathlike attributes link with the inhumanity in the empire, and Conrad suggests how the attributes of the metropolitan country are founded on imperialism. The action gathers momentum as the scene shifts to Brussels, the headquarters of the Belgian empire. Marlow's cronies comprise a director of companies, a lawyer, and an accountant, all pillars of capitalism and thereby implicated in his tale. Suggestions of darkness in Great Britain's (Roman) past and present history converge. He can remain clear-sighted and frank in confronting the imperial entanglements of a foreign country, Belgium.Ĭonrad's presentation of the imperial theme begins when Marlow is on board a yawl in the Thames at dusk with four cronies. He can plausibly employ Marlow to convey his themes as fully as he understands them partly because Marlow's national sentiment would not be on the defensive.
The character of Marlow provides one way by which the author can bring Britain into his concerns.
But is his usefulness limited by his British imperial-mindedness? Conrad is able to treat this side of Marlow critically just as he does the other aspects. His honesty and exceptional humanity set him up as a fitting narrator. That Marlow is a certain type of Englishman is also important. In four instances Marlow is compelled to compromise with truth, but for a worthy purpose we feel that he is as honest as possible in an imperfect world. On one level, "Heart of Darkness" is a serious commentary on imperialism, what Conrad called "the vilest scramble for loot that ever disfigured the history of human conscience and geographical exploration." Marlow's portrayal is, from one aspect, a part of this theme, and his suitability as a narrative vehicle is crucial to its presentation. Conrad uses it ironically to subvert the sahib views of imperialism. The most powerful influence on Conrad's choice of narrative convention would have been the mode of the sahib recounting his colonial experiences. Marlow relates the story as if it were firsthand experience.
Certainly "Heart of Darkness" possesses some elements of realism. The Africa in the tale is the continent as seen through European eyes. Joseph Conrad's intention in "Heart of Darkness" is not to provide an accurate description of Africa.
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