HEART OF DARKNESS by Joseph CONRAD

Heart Of Darkness: (pg.3): “The Nellie, a cruising yawl, swung to her anchor without a flutter of the sails, and was at rest.”:
A yawl is a “two-masted, fore-and-aft-rigged sailing vessel having a large mainmast and a smaller jiggermast or mizzenmast stepped abaft the sternpost.” Thus, a “cruising yawl” would be a large ship gliding along the water. For the setting of the book, Joesph Conrad used many scenes on water. Most of the story takes place on the Congo River, but the story begins on the Thames River. Conrad uses imagery to give a sense of the places where his characters are.

"yawl." The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company. 2004. 12 Aug. 2009. Dictionary.com.http://dicationary.reference.com/browze.yawl.

Heart Of Darkness: (pg.3) “The sea- reach of the Thames stretched before us like the beginning of an interminable waterway.”:
A “sea- reach” is “a straight course at the mouth of a river, connecting with the sea.” The Thames River is described as being at the “heart of English and British history.” At the time period this book was set, the Thames River was used on a regular basis as a trade route. By saying that the Thames River is an “interminable waterway”, Conrad is saying the river is unending; this river has been “broken in” by use, of merchants, sailors, travelers etc. Marlow reflects on the Thames River, and this leads into his story about the Congo River. Conrad is using imagery to develop the setting of his story.

Center for Global Enviornmental Education. 2001. Hamline Universtiy Graduate School of Education. 12 Aug. 2009. http://egee.hamline.edu/river/Resources/river_profiles/thames.html.

"interminable." Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition. Philip Lief Goup 2009.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/interminable.

Pegasos, 2008. Kussankosken kaupunginkirjasto, Finland. 12 Aug. 2009. http://www.Kirjasto.sci.fi/conrad.htm.

"sea reach." Dictionary.com Unabridged(v.1.1). Random House, Inc. 12 Aug. 2009. http://dictionary.refernce.com/browse/sea reach.

Heart Of Darkness: (pg.5): “It had known and served all the men of whom the nation is proud, from Sir Francis Drake to Sir John Franklin, knights all, titled and untitled the great knights-errant of the sea.”:
Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Franklin are both English men who set sail and explored the world to fulfill historical goals. Interestingly enough, information about the artic and survival in the polar climate from Sir John Franklin’s expedition may have been used for setting information in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the other book in our summer reading assignment. One can conclude that since both Drake and Franklin brought such pride to England and were considered national heroes that Conrad also took pride in them. By referring to Drake and Franklin as “knights-errant of the sea” Marlow was calling them “sea- adventurers” who provided a great service to their country. Conrad is building a base for his story. The tone he is creating was initially one of excitment as Marlow set out on his adventure. Many people thought that the colonization of Africa was for the good of that continent; however, it turned out to be devastating for the native people and for the land.

Cassidy, Kathryn. “The Franklin Expedition.” The Victorian Web. 27 March 2002. 12 Aug. 2009. http://www.victorianweb.org/history/franklin/franklin.html.

"errant." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v1.1). Random House, Inc. 12 Aug. 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/borwse/errant.

“Sir Francis Drake.” Explorers of the Millennium 5 October 2001. Sherwood Elementary School. 12 Aug. 2009.

Heart Of Darkness: (pg.5): “It had borne all the ships whose names are like jewels flashing in the night of time, from the Golden Hind returning with her round flanks full of treasure, to be visited by the Queen’s Highness and thus pass out of the gigantic tale, to the Erebus and Terror, bound on other conquests—and that never returned.”:
The Golden Hind is the first ship that “circumnavigated” the world. Queen Elizabeth I gave the Golden Hind to Sir Francis Drake. While sailing the Pacific Coast of South America, Drake took control of a Spanish Ship and stole its load of gold, silver, and jewels. Drake returned home through the Pacific and Indian Oceans as a national hero.

The Erebus and Terror are ships that were originally designed for use by the English navy for bombardment of targets on coastal land. Because these ships were built in a stronger fashion than most ships available at the time, they were sent on polar expeditions. An Englishman named James Clark Ross, an experienced polar officer having discovered the north magnetic pole among other things, was given command of the Erebus and Terror in 1839. He sailed south for the Antarctic in hopes of finding the southern magnetic pole. Again, Joesph Conrad is creating a tone of excitement and adventure.

“The Golden Hind.” Elizabethan Era. 20 March 2008. 14 August 2009. www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/the-golden-hind-ship.htm.

“Sir Francis Drake.” Explorers of the Millennium. 5 October 2001. Sherwood Elementary School. 14 Aug. 2009. http://library.thinkquest.org/4034/drake.html.

Ward, Paul. “Erebus and Terror.” Cool Antarctica. 11 August 2009. 14 August 2009.
http://www.coolantarctica.com.

Heart Of Darkness: (pg.5): “The Chapman lighthouse, a three-legged thing erect on a mud-flat, shone strongly.”:
To early sailors, the Chapman Sands was the last dangerous hazard they must face before the river journey (up the Thames River) home to London could begin or it also could be described as the last light of their homeland that they would see when they began their journey. The Chapman light house was a “pile light house” that warned sailors of the area’s numerous mud flats. The light house was built in the water on seven legs so that the waves could pass underneath the facility without major resistance. Conrad most likely gave the reference so he may create a setting for the reader. Furthermore, although the mudflats were one of the last dangers for travelers heading up the Thames River, the mudflats were a very small inconvenience when compared to the dangers of the Congo. Conrad uses imagery of the light to continue the story.

Penn, Janet. “The Rise and the Fall of the Chapman Lighthouse.” Canvey Island.org.
14Aug.2009. www.canveyisland.org.

Heart of Darkness: (p.5): “And this also,” said Marlow suddenly, “has been one of the dark places of the earth.”:
Marlow begins to talk with this statement. England was not always considered a civilized place. With each group that invaded the land, the country developed and changed. There were barbaric times, invasions and destruction and what was considered civilized developed from this history. He was thinking about the history and development of England and that before their current circumstances developed, life and the way of living could be compared to the “darkness” of what he had seen in the Congo. Because of statements like this one and other observations that Marlow makes later, it seems that Marlow may have had more empathy for all life than most other people at the time did. Joesph Conrad used his story to tell the truth about the situation in the Congo. By drawing a parallel to England and how it once was there, Conrad is building a base for a theme of conquest and darktimes for native people due to the greed and violence of invading countries.

“General History.” History of England. 14 August 2009.
http://www.historyofengland.net/content/view/12/41/.

Heart Of Darkness: (pg.6): “Imagine the feeling of a commander of a fine—what d’ye call ‘em?—trireme in the Mediterranean, ordered suddenly to go north; run overland across the Gauls in a hurry; put in charge of one of these craft of legionaries—a wonderful lot…if we may believe what we read.”:
A trireme is a type of rowing warship from the Mediterranean. The Gauls were a group of people who spoke a variation of the Celtic language and resided in a place called Gaul. The French are descendants of the Gauls and Franks. The legionaries are the ancient Roman soldiers. Marlow is reminiscing about the taking over of the Gaul lands and the invasion of England by the Romans. He is setting the mood for entering the wonders of the Congo with comparisons to which his fellow companions can relate to because it is the history of their own country. Conrad uses imagery to develop the setting and theme of his story.

"Gaul." Dictionary.com Unabridges (v1.1). Random House, Inc. 14 Aug 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Gaul.

"Italeri & Zvezda & ICM Plastic ship Kits." Antics. 14 August 2009. http://www.shipmodels.co.uk/662?1?1305477.html.

“Who Were Gauls and What Happened to Them.” eNotes.14 August 2009.
http://www.enotes.com/history-fact-finder/eras-their-highlights/who-were-gauls-what-happened-them.

"legionaries." Dictionary.com Unabridges (v1.1). Random House, Inc. 14 Aug. 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/legionaries.

"trireme." Dictonary.com Unabridges (v1.1). Random House, Inc. 14 Aug. 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/trireme.

Heart Of Darkness: (pg.6): “No Falernian wine here, no going ashore.”:
Falernian wine was a type of wine made from a grape that grew near Mt. Falernus in Italy. In ancient Rome, it was considered to be the best wine. This type of wine was usually allowed to age 15-20 years. References to Falernian wine have been made for centuries, and it referred to as the most delicious wine ever tasted. There have even been poems written about it. The grape plants that were used to make the wine were destroyed by a volcanic eruption. Falernian wine was limited in production and expensive. A Roman soldier conquering England would not find anything sweet like Falernian wine – or perhaps anything of home that was sweet and dear to him on the shores of the Thames River or during his time away from home. Again, Conrad uses imagery and a historical storyline to develop the present tale of the conquest of the Congo area.

“Falernian: Wine of the Ancients.” WineSquire.com. January 2002. 15 August 2009. http://www.winesquire.com/articles/2002.

“Falernian Wines.” Food Resource 24 July 2009. College of Heath and Human Resources. Oregon State University. 15 August 2009.
http://food.oregonstate.edu/glossary/f/falernianwine.html.

Heart Of Darkness: (pg.7) “ ‘Mind,’ he began again, lifting one arm from the elbow, the palm of the hand outwards, so that, with his legs folded before him, he had the pose of Buddha preaching in European clothes and without a lotus-flower… devotion to efficiency.”:
A Buddha is a person who is a follower of Siddhartha Gautama and who is without fault and has found peace in his mind. Buddha is also a word that is used to describe figures that represent Gautama; followers sit in a pose with their legs crossed and palms resting upright during times of reflection and meditation. Visually comparing Marlow to Buddha who has “has great compassion which is completely impartial, embracing all living beings without discrimination” seems curious due to the fact that Marlow appears to be none of that. However, Marlow has been enlightened of the Congo and his experiences from there, and Marlow does on occasion express emotions that are not as prejudice against the African natives as was usual during the time. Furthermore, Marlow tried not to judge Mr. Kurtz and had compassion for Mr. Kurtz’s fiancé. Conrad uses imagery to give a sense of Marlow's character.

“Who is Buddha.” About Buddha. 2007. Tharpa Publications. 15 August 2009. http://www.aboutbuddha.org/english/who-is-buddha.htm.

"buddha." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 15 Aug. 2009. www.dictionary.reference.com/browse/buddha.

Heart Of Darkness: (pp.7 - 8) “The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much.”:
Marlow is drawing attention to the fact that Europeans have set out to conquest different areas on Earth, and that in the areas they have attacked people looked different than Europeans. Exploration of the earth led to devastation for many native people in their homelands. Justification for these actions has often been the belief that the other people were not civilized or not even real people based on the native people’s different physical traits –darker skin and flatter noses in the Congo area. As Marlow referenced earlier in the story, it happened to England and to the Gauls, and now Europe is conquering or claiming Africa. Conrad reveals some discomfort for the way the world has been conquested through the use of Marlow's voice.

"The Black Holocaust." Sankofa Project Guide. 14 March 2009. http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Classroom/9912/blackholocauset.html.

“Colonization of Africa.” Wikipedia. 28 July 2009. 15 August 2009.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonization_of_Africa.

“General History.” History of England. 15 August 2009.
http://www.historyofengland.net.

Heart Of Darkness: (pg.9) “It had ceased to be a blank space of delightful mystery—a white patch for a boy to dream gloriously over.”:
Marlow is referring to the fact that in the time that he has grown up, many of the places on Earth were already explored and conquered but the length of the Congo was one of the least explored places. As a young boy, the idea of being the first to explore any area was very appealing to him. By the time Marlow had the opportunity to go to the Congo it was no longer a complete unexplored region, but there was still a great sense of mystery about it. The Congo was “a place of darkness” meaning that although many people had ventured to the Congo, it still held many secrets and dangers for one to face. Joseph Conrad is giving background for his story though Marlow's voice. The tone of adventure and excitement continues.

Heart of Darkness: (p. 9) “But there was in it one river especially, a mighty big river, that you could see on the map, resembling an immense snake uncoiled, with its head in the sea, its body at rest curving afar over a vast country, and its tail lost in the depths of the land.”:
By giving the reader the image of the Congo River as a snake, Conrad is changing the tone of the adventure. The meanings of the symbolism of snakes range from destruction to healing. Reaction to the comparison of the Congo to a snake should be one of danger. They must enter the mouth of a huge snake to begin the trip up the Congo, and no one knows where the “tail” (or the story or tale) ends. Stories from Africa link the image of snakes to their ancestors. One can conclude that to the Europeans, the Congo was a dangerous and dark mystery; but to the Africans, the river was probably something that provided for them in the forms of water and food. Conrad may be intentional in the use of this imagery as it has different meanings for different people. With the use of imagery and symbolism, Conrad emphasizes that one group of people should not think they know what is best for other people.

Eisenbraun, Chris. “The Symbols.” symbols. 04 July 2000. 15 August 2009. http://www.scootermydaisyheads.com/fine_art/symbol_dictionary/snake.

“Snake-Serpent.” The Holistic Dictionary. 2003. 15 August 2009.
http://www.holisticshop.co.uk/dictionary/snake_serpent.html.

Heart Of Darkness: (pg. 11): “In a very few hours I arrived in a city that always makes me think of a whited sepulchre.”:
A sepulchre is a place where human remains are stored or buried; it is a tomb. Marlow is comparing the place where he is arrives to begin his work for the Company to a burial place. The outside of the tomb might seem to be filled with light but inside it is dark. Sepulchre’s can be described as nice on the outside and dark and frightening on the inside. The city where he arrives is beautiful on the outside but dark on the inside. The prophet Jesus compares the Jewish leaders to a whited sepulchre when he warns them. Jesus is saying that the temple leaders are presenting a false image; they are not clean in their hearts and actions. Using the whited sepulchre image is similiar to using the snake imagery; Conrad continues to develop a wary and agitated tone.

Allingham, Phillip V. “White Lies and Whited Sepulchres in Conrad's Heart of Darkness.” The Victorian Web. 10 December 2000. 16 August 2009.
http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/conrad.

Matthew 23, verse 27.Oremus Bible Browser. 2 March 2008. King James Version. 16 August 2008. http://bible.oremus.org/.

"sepulchre." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 16 Aug. 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sepulchre.

Heart of Darkness: (p. 12) “Ave! Old knitter of black wool. Morituri te salutant. Not many of those she looked at ever saw her again – not half, by a long way.”:
Conrad is using imagery and symbolism to develop the story. Marlow is commenting about one of the ladies in the office of the Company for which he will be working. She is knitting black wool while sitting in the front room of the office. He is recognizing that many men have come through these doors and seen her. They may acknowledge her presence with a nod of the head or even just eye contact but she will never see them again because they will die in Africa. The word, ave, and the phrase, morituri te salutant, are Latin. The translation would be, “Hail! Old knitter of black wool. We who are about to die salute thee.” The old lady is knitting black wool. At the time, black was the color of clothes that were worn by someone who was mourning a death. Black wool was sometimes used to make these garments.

“Ave.” Babylon.16 August 2009. http://www.babylon.com/definition/AVE

"morituri te salutant." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2009. Merriam-Webster Online. 16 August 2009. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/morituri

“Mourning Fashion Fashion History.” Fashion Era. 2001-2009. 16 August 2009. http://www.fashion-era.com/mourning_fashion.htm.

Heart Of Darkness: (pg. 19) “My purpose was to stroll… I had stepped into the gloomy circle of some Inferno.”:
Inferno is a word used to describe hell, a place that causes death and misery, or an extremely hot, fiery place. Inferno is the title of the first part of Dante’s poem, The Divine Comedy. Inferno is about the character named Dante and his trip through the nine circles of hell. When Marlow says that he stepped into the “gloomy circle of some Inferno,” he means that that the place he is walking is filled with misery and suffering and is like hell. Conrad is using allusion to hell by referencing Inferno, and the story's tone is immediately sinister.

“Divine Comedy.” Wikipedia. 28 August 2009. 28 August 2009.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_Comedy.

"Inferno." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 16 Aug. 2009. dictionary.com. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Inferno.

“Inferno.” The World of Dante. Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities. University of Virginia. 16 August 2009. http://www.worldofdante.org/inferno1.html.

Heart Of Darkness: (pg. 23) “Well, if a lot of mysterious niggers armed with all kinds of fearful weapons suddenly took to traveling on the road between Deal and Gravesend, catching yokels right and left… empty very soon.”:
Deal and Gravesend are both located in Kent, England. Gravesend was a harbor located where the Thames River feeds into the sea and Deal was a seaside destination. Yokels is a slang word for country folk. Marlow is saying that the area he was traveling in was empty of people and that was probably because the white people had arrived and started taking the local population and forcing them to work. The rest of the local folks ran away. Marlow says that if black people came to England and forced the population in the same manner, the countryside would empty out there too. Conrad uses Marlow's voice to show empathy for the Congo native's situation. Because Conrad once worked on ships, he gives a setting for his book that he is familiar with.

“Deal, England.” Classic Encyclopedia. 23 March 2009. 17 August 2009. http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Deal,_England.

“Gravesend, England.” Department of English. University of Pennsylvannia. 2009. 17 August 2009. http://www.english.upenn.edu/Projects/knarf/Places/gravesen.html.

“Joseph Conrad.” Pegosas. 2008. 17 August 2009. http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/jconrad.htm.

"yokels." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 17 Aug. 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/yokels.

Heart Of Darkness: (pg. 26): “The word ‘ivory’ rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed. You would think they were praying to it. A taint of imbecile rapacity blew through it all, like a whiff from some corpse. By Jove!” :
Europeans were harvesting whatever they could from Africa. One of the items in demand was ivory. Using Marlow's voice, Conrad is giving an image of the consumerism and greed for the ivory market. All of the people in the industry were trying to get rich with ivory, and they did not mind destroying whatever got in their way. By saying that it was almost as if the people were praying to it, he is showing that the desire for ivory possessed the people in a bad way. They were crazy with greed.

Romans used the word “Jove” when referring to Jupiter, the God of the Sky. The English have used “Jove” to refer to the planet Jupiter in poetry. Some scholars believe the word is also related to the Jewish people’s name for God, Jehovah. “By Jove” was a phrase used to show surprise at some happening or event. Conrad is using the jargon of the time for his character.

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-byj1.htm

"jove." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 17 Aug. 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/jove

"rapacity." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 17 Aug. 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/rapacity

Heart Of Darkness: (pg. 29): "However, they were all waiting - all the sixteen or twenty pilgrims of them -for something; and upon my word it did not seem an uncongenial occupation, from the way they took it, though the only thing that ever came to them was disease-- as far as I could see.”:
A pilgrim is someone who travels to far distant places, usually for religious purposes or it can also mean someone who is new to a place. Marlow refers to the white men who are at the Company’s camp as pilgrims. These men have traveled a great distance to come to this new place. Their religion they seek is for ivory, but they find sickness and death instead. Conrad uses irony to build a theme about how devastating greed can be.

"pilgrim." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 17 Aug. 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pilgrim.

Heart Of Darkness: (pg. 31)” “I let him run on, this papier-mâché Mephistopheles, and it seemed to me that if I tried I could poke my forefinger through him, and would find nothing inside but a little loose dirt, maybe.”:
Mephistopheles is a devil character in the play, Faust. Papier-mâché is an art form where objects are made of a mixture of paper and glue. If used as an adjective, the words papier-mâché describes something that is not credible, a false image, or something that can easily be ruined or discredited. By referring to man as a “papier-mâché Mephistopheles” Marlow is saying that the agent is like a devil who tempts people and that the agent is not believable or honorable and he is only the shell of a man. Conrad is using allusion to describe one of the characters.

"Goethe." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 17 Aug. 2009. dictionary.reference.com/browse/Goethe.

"mephistopheles." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 17 Aug. 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mephistopheles.

“mephistopheles.” Ask.com. 2009. Answers Corporation 17 August 2009. http://www.answers.com/topic/mephistopheles.

"papier-mâché." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 17 Aug. 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/papier-mache.

Heart Of Darkness: (pg. 36) “A deadened burst of mighty splashes and snorts reached us from afar, as though an ichthyosaurus had been taking a bath of glitter in the great river.”:
Ichthyosaurs were reptiles that ranged in size from 4 to 40 feet long and that had flippers and fins and were shaped like fish. They lived on earth during the times of the dinosaurs. Conrad is using imagery to describe the wild, untamed area of the Congo by comparing the sounds of the Congo River to sounds that you would have heard in the age of the dinosaurs.

"ichthyosaur." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 17 Aug. 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ichthyosaur.

Montani, Ryosuke. “Rulers of the Jurassic Seas.” Scientific American. 18 August 2009. http://www.karencarr.com/News/motani/1200motani.html.

Heart Of Darkness: (pg. 36) “This devoted band called itself the Eldorado Exploring Expedition… sworn to secrecy.”:
El Dorado was a name given to a place where unimaginable riches could be found; it was a place that took on legendary proportions. Over the centuries, explorers sought to find El Dorado and claim its riches. Over time, the name began to be used for any place where a person could get rich quickly. In Africa there was the legendary city of gold known as Timbuktu. Europeans searched the world for riches. They did not care if the land was occupied already. They searched for gold, for ivory, for diamonds, and anything else of value all over the world. In the Heart of Darkness the source of the riches was ivory. In this passage, Conrad reveals the mixture of his attitude toward the people who come to the Congo seeking riches. On the one hand, he completely understands the sense of adventure that draws them to the area. On the other hand, he is disgusted by the way they treat the native population, the land, and each other.

Boddy-Evans, Alistair. “Timbuktu: The El Dorado of Africa.About.com.18 August 2009. http://africanhistory.about.com/od/mali/p/Timbuktu.htm.

“El Dorado.” Wikipedia. 20 August 2009. 18 August 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Dorado#Expeditions.

"El dorado." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 18 Aug. 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/El%20dorado

“The Legend of El Dorado.” Tariona Heritage Trust. October 1998. 18 August 2009. http://www.eremite.demon.co.uk/Tairona/1pages/seca/a6eldor.html.

Heart Of Darkness: (pg. 36) “Their talk, however, was talk of sordid buccaneers it was reckless without hardihood, greedy without audacity, and cruel without courage… for the work of the world.”:
Through Marlow's voice, Conrad is saying that the men of the “Eldorado Exploring Expedition” are vile, selfish pirates who are weak and irresponsible, filled with greed but lacking courage, and cruel without being brave. Marlow does not respect the men of the Eldorado Exploring Expedition. Belgium, which is the country that claimed the Congo territory, treated the Congo residents and land extremely viciously. This history of violence there is very likely why the area is still filled with hatred and violence today. Conrad's attitude as referenced in the annotation above is even more apparent as he continues the story with this passage.

"audacity." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 18 Aug. 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/audacity

"buccaneers." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.18 Aug. 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/buccaneers.

Dummett, Mark. “King Leopold’s Legacy of DR Congo Violence.” BBC. 24 February 2004. 18 August 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3516965.stm.

"sordid." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 18 Aug. 2009. dictionary.com href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sordid

Heart Of Darkness: (pp. 39-40) “No one, as far as I know, unless a species of wandering trader—a pestilential fellow, snapping ivory from the natives.”:
Marlow overhears the Manager saying this in a private conversation (between the Uncle and Nephew). Pestilential means “annoyingly troublesome.” However, the importance of this quote resides in the reference to ivory. During this time period ivory was trading at a very high price. Although it was hard for one to get their hands on ivory, everyone wanted it due to the money that would come with it. Someone was in the area collecting ivory, and the men felt that the person did not have any rights to the ivory. Conrad is developing his story using Marlow's point of view against other character's point of view. The men talking here were traders who were greedy for ivory; Marlow didn't trust or like them.

“Ivory.” Wikipedia. 9 August 2009. 18 August 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ivory.

"pestilential." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 18Aug. 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pestilential.

Heart Of Darkness: (pg. 42) “ I felt often its mysterious stillness watching me at my monkey tricks, just as it watches you fellows performing on your respective tight-ropes for—what is it? half-a crown a tumble— ”:
The informal meaning of monkey tricks is “mischievous behavior or acts.” Marlow is talking to the men in the boat on the Thames River with him. He is saying the atmosphere on the Congo was so oppressive that it felt as if someone or something was watching him all the time and knew what he was doing and was waiting for him to make a mistake. He insults them by calling attention to their own personal behavior, but what he is really trying to say has to do with what people have in common – maybe even with the native people in the jungle. Everyone does some things that might not be considered appropriate by other members of society or by the “mysterious stillness.” The tight rope might symbolize the fine line we walk between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Conrad is revealing his attitude of acceptance and empathy with people by drawing attention to what people have in common.

“monkey tricks.” http://www.thefreedictionary.com. Collins Essential English Dictionary. 2nd Edition 2006 © HarperCollins Publishers 2004, 2006. 18 August 2009. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/monkey+tricks.

Heart Of Darkness: (pg.47) “I slipped the book into my pocket. I assure you to leave off reading was like tearing myself away from the shelter of an old and solid friendship.”
On p. 86, Marlow gives the information about the book he found, “An Inquiry into some Points of Seamanship, by a man Tower,Towson – some such name – Master in His Majesty’s Navy.”:
Conrad is developing his story by giving a sense of the isolation and lonliness of the Congo. Even a good person can get lost in his values and needs reminders of a different life. Conrad is using imagery and Marlow's voice to give insight into a Congo River experience of that time. The book referred to, may be one that was published in London in 1845: An Inquiry Relative to Various Important Points of Seamanship by Nicholas Tinmouth. Marlow feels very disconnected to the civilized world when he finds this book which he handles with care. Books are a rarity in the Congo, but rarer are reminders of life that is far from the darkness of the Congo. He takes the book to remind him of his connection to his home.

“Cook’s Navy.” Captain Cook Society. August 2009. 19 August 2009. http://www.captaincooksociety.com/ccsu4190.htm.

“Maritime List 183.” Ten Pound Island Book Company. 19 August 2009.
http://www.tenpound.com/183/201.html.

Heart Of Darkness: (pg. 60): “It made me hold my breath in expectation of hearing the wilderness burst into a prodigious peal of laughter that would shake the fixed stars in their places. Everything belonged to him…how may powers of darkness claimed him for their own.”:
Marlow recognizes that Kurtz is not only physically ill, but also mentally ill. Kurtz has been possessed by want and desire for ivory and the darkness of the place has overcome him. In folklore, stars were believed to protect people from evil. The wilderness stripped protection of the stars from Kurtz. As Kurtz talks about everything belonging to him, Marlow is fearful of the darkness that has taken Kurtz for its own. Conrad uses imagery to describe the state of his characters and their situation. Conrad also uses personification (giving human characteristics to something that is not human) of the jungle to give a frightening tone to the story.

"prodigious." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 19 Aug. 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/prodigious.

“Symbolic Meaning of the Pentagram.” Robert Purvis. 19 August 2009. http://www.angelfire.com/id/robpurvis/pentagram.html.

Heart Of Darkness: (pg. 60): “I take it, no fool ever made a bargain for his soul with the devil: the fool is too much of a fool, or the devil too much of a devil—I don’t know which.”:
Marlow is trying to explain how evil looks for and consumes men, but only men it considers of value. Evil does not want fools. Marlow views devils much the way they are pictured in Goethe’s Faust and also in The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus by the English writer, Christopher Marlowe. One sells their soul to the devil in return for something. The devil must value the soul it is seeking. Conrad is using Marlow's voice to develop the story. Allusion to other stories with a devil character give a reference to Marlow's feelings.

“Christopher Marlowe.” Luminarium: Anthology of English Literature. 16 February 2007. 18 August 2009. http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/marlowebio.htm.

“Goethe’s Faust.” Wikipedia.” 17 August 2009. 18 August 2009.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goethe.

Mehlmann, Alexander. “The Faustian Bargain.” 15 February 2002. 19 August 2009. http://www.eos.tuwien.ac.at/OR/Mehlmann/Andis/faurebreit/faurebreit.html.

“The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus.” Wikipedia. 12 August 2009. 18 August 2009.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tragical_History_of_Doctor_Faustus.

Heart Of Darkness: (pg. 61): “His mother was half-English, his father was half-French. All Europe contributed to the making of Kurtz; and by-and-by I learned that, most appropriately, the International Society for the Suppression of Savage Customs had entrusted him with the making of a report, for its future guidance.”:
The quote may lead one to think that Conrad was referring to Kurtz’s ancestors but it also could mean that the person Kurtz had become was created by the greed of all the countries in Europe and their desire for the riches of Africa. The African continent was divided among the European nations. The effect of this colonization led to despair and darkness not only for Africans, but also for the Europeans who went there. By the art of his writing, Conrad is giving a negative perspective on colonization.

“Africa Under Colonization.” The Black Holocaust. 14 March 1999. Sankofa Project Guide. 19 August 2009. http://www.geocities.com/collegepark/classroom/9912/colonization.html.

Boddy-Evans, Alistair. “What Caused the Scramble for Africa.” Ask.com. 19 August 2009.http://africanhistory.about.com/od/eracolonialism/a/ScrambleWhy.htm.

“The Dark Continent: European Colonization in Africa.” NJIS and the World. 19 August 2009. http://njisworld.wordpress.com/mr-duells-articles/the-dark-continent-european-colonization-in-africa.

Heart Of Darkness: (pg.62): “It was very simple, and at the end of that moving appeal…sky: By writing "Exterminate all the brutes!" at the end of his phamphlet, Kurtz is revealing the horror of his stay in the Congo area. Kurtz may have arrived in Africa simply to seek his fortunes and return to his fiance and to perhaps help the native population. However,he lost his sense of thinking of the natives as a form of human kind or he came to embrace them and be as one of them. Treachery, killing, lust for ivory, and too much time in the country led to Kurtz’s transformation. Perhaps in a moment of realization of the impact that the place had on him, he felt it would be better to kill them all rather than become like them. He reduced his beliefs to thinking that the only was to suppress savage customs was to kill all the savages, not recognizing that he had become something less than human himself. Conrad is using the story of Kurtz to show what can happen to men who are overcome by their personal greed and who loose sense of their own values. Conrad may be relating the story from personal experience, and he is giving voice to things he saw while in Africa.

Heart Of Darkness: (pg. 63): “He had been a very good second-rate helmsman while alive, but now he was dead he might have become a first-class temptation… startling trouble.”:
Marlow suggests his racism by calling his helmsman “second-rate." But when he is talking about the same man as a first-class temptation, he is referencing the fact that the crew may want to eat the helmsman. This would lead to even more problems on the boat. The tone of Conrad's story is straightforward. Though the Congo River experience the choices one makes are based on a different set of principles and priorities.

Heart Of Darkness: (pg. 71): “These round knobs were not ornamental but symbolic; they were expressive and puzzling, striking and disturbing—food for the thought and also for the vultures if there had been any looking down from the sky; but at all events for such ants as were industrious enough to ascend the pole.”:
Further proof of Kurtz’s descent into darkness: he has mounted the heads of enemies on posts around the camp. The sight would not only be effective against the native tribes, it was also appalling to the Europeans but striking a different chord of fear in each. In terms of imagery, the realization of seeing the mounted heads gives the reader the sense of the darkness and despair. The way that the image is at first horrific and then reduced to terms of the food chain also leads one to think that Kurtz has changed what is acceptable in his mind. He has become more like the natives/savages than he is like the Europeans/civilized people. Conrad is using imagery to give a picture of the place and situation that his characters are in. The images Conrad provides give the depairing tone.

Heart of Darkness: (pg. 86): “He cried in a whisper at some image, at some vision… ‘The horror! The horror!’ ”:
Kurtz’s dying words are open for interpretation. Is he talking about the darkness of the Congo River territory? The natives? The actions of the Europeans? His own terrible deeds? Is he somehow showing sorrow for his actions? Is he showing fear of death because he is heading for hell? Conrad managed to have Kurtz express all of these ideas with these two words.

Doyle, Mark. “Why is the African Continent Poor?” BBC News. 19 August 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8215083.stm.

Mills, Wallace. “Belgium Colonial Policy.” History Course Page. 19 August 2009. http://husky1.stmarys.ca/~wmills/course317/5Belgian_Policies.html.

Parenti, Michael. “Imperialism 101.” Michael Parenti Political Archive. 2001-2005. 19August 2009. http://www.michaelparenti.org/Imperialism101.html.

Heart Of Darkness: (pg. 96): “The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil water-way leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber under an overcast sky—seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness.”:
Throughout the book references to the dark are made. Marlow begins to tell the story in the dark of night. The Congo area is filled with dark. The thoughts and actions of the characters are filled with darkness. Souls are dark. Imagery throughout the book is of darkness; words such as gloomy, dark, and black are used to describe fog, heavy forests, the water, night, clouds and people. Darkness is a theme not only of the actual surroundings but also of man’s souls. In the 19th Century Africa was an unexplored continent and an explorer by the name of Henry M. Stanley referred to Africa as the Dark Continent. Africa was a perfect setting for a book that explored the heart of man, and its qualities of darkness. Conrad's use of imagery help to communicate the sense of despair and isolation in the Congo River area for the Europeans. Imagery also helps Conrad's development of theme, and certainly the words help to project the tone of depair, fear, and lonliness.

”The Dark Continent: European Colonization in Africa.” NJIS and the World. 20 August 2009. http://njisworld.wordpress.com/mr-duells-articles/the-dark-continent-european-colonization-in-africa.

“Should NPR Have Apologize For ‘Dark Continent?’” NPR. 27 February 2008. 20 August 2009. http://www.npr.org/ombudsman/2008/02/should_npr_have_apologized_for.html.