Heart of Darkness and Youth – Joseph Conrad
Hands up all those people who didn’t study Heart of Darkness at school? Not many of you? OK, those of you who did, hands up those who can’t remember much about it. I know my hand is up, which is why I went back to read it again after I finished Blood River by Tim Butcher a few weeks back. The edition I read was also one which contained the short story Youth as well as an introduction by Tim Butcher himself.
The story is grim, as the title suggests. The plot is relatively simple. Staged as a story within a story, Marlow (the narrator) tells his listeners about a time in his life when he took a job in what was then Belgian controlled Congo. Although the country and the river name is never mentioned directly, it is quite clear that Marlow arrives in an alien, jungle covered country, where whites cling tenuously to their control through violence and repression. Marlow’s task is to take a rusty steamer up the Congo River to rescue a mysterious man named Kurtz. Kurtz becomes the character which dominates this book, even though he is actually only in the story for a matter of pages. However, Kurtz embodies the most powerful messages.
The story explores the contrast between darkness and light, and it has a heavy atmosphere of unhappiness and oppression throughout. Kurtz’s presence forces the readers and characters to question where civilization ends and where depravity begins, or if indeed there is any difference. Judging by the behaviour of the colonials, one would think that they were one and the same thing when looking at it with 21st century eyes. I got the sense that Marlow felt that way too.
The portrayal of women in the story was of its time – their role was either ornamental or one-dimensionally emotional, without the brains or understanding of what amounted to male business. And yet the male business of domination, colonialism and plundering resulted in death and an almost absurd striving for power and money which, when looked at rationally, was completely pointless. Of course, reading this after being so moved by Tim Butcher’s realistic account of Belgian colonialism and the reprecussions which are still echoing through the region today, I was bound to approach the book with cynicism.
Like many ‘classics’, the prose can be dense at times and the message can be hidden beneath words and sentences. However, this density was evocative of the jungle, and so perhaps quite appropriate.
It was pleasant reading Youth after finishing the main novella. It is a story with similarities but exploring very different themes – themes of age and idealism, adventure and misfortune. It was a far easier read, and provided a nice antidote to the oppression of the previous story.
It’s short enough to read again, but with several other excellent accounts of the state of the Congo around, I would recommend reading in context with some of these other sources.
Rating: 6/10
ISBN: 0099511541
Publisher: Vintage Classics
Year: 2007
Date Finished: 4 November 2008
Pages: 176
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While I learned about Conrad and his ideas in school, we never actually read the book (I don’t know why). I feel it’s one I really ought to open someday, one of those “required” classics for the reading mind.
Hi there,
I commented earlier but wasn’t sure if it appeared! :/
Anyway, I watched and studied Apocalypse Now which was based on this book by Joseph Conrad. It’s a rather disturbing film portraying the madness of the Vietnam War and of Colonel Kurtz. I learnt a lot from my researching the movie and story. The trouble the director went through in the making of the movie was quite exciting too.
It is both a disturbing film, and a disturbing book, but not light reading. And bearing in mind the troubles which are occurring in The Congo right at the moment, I think it is an even more relevant book now (along with Tim Butcher’s recent book as well).
Thanks for your comments