Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad - Blog Post 4

The last part of Heart of Darkness takes place back in England when Marlow goes to see Kurtz's intended. Though it has been more than a year, she is still in mourning over her beloved Kurtz's death. Marlow narrates his encounter as it progresses and darkness sets in: "But with every word spoken the room was growing darker, and only her forehead, smooth and white, remained illuminated by the inextinguishable light of belief and love" (154).

As Kurtz's intended speaks about how great Kurtz was, the room begins to grow darker and darker around her and Marlow. The room is being plagued with talk of Kurtz, for he became a dark, corrupt, and hollow man as he lived in Africa. The darkness encloses around both Marlow and Kurtz's intended, yet the forehead of Kurtz's intended is still brightly "illuminated by the inextinguishable light of belief and love". The forehead is a sign of knowledge and belief, for it is where the brain is, which controls a person. The fact that her forehead is still illuminated even in encroaching darkness visually expresses how Kurtz's intended feels that she was enlightened by Kurtz and that she believed in him and loved him dearly. The fact that the light it "inextinguishable" conveys how Marlow sees that Kurtz's intended still has a passion for what she feels she learned from him.

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