Themes
The novella critiques this European practice in Africa.
What is imperialism or colonialism?
"The horror! The horror!” were spoken by this man.
Who is Kurtz?
Marlow travels to this African river to retrieve Kurtz.
What is the Congo River?
The contrast between what is shown and what is true reflects this theme.
What is illusion vs. reality?
Marlow compares Brussels to this biblical object.
What is a whited sepulchre?
Marlow witnesses this kind of mistreatment of the African people.
What is forced labor or brutal exploitation?
Kurtz’s fall illustrates this theme of human isolation.
What is madness or the fragility of morality?
“Your strength is just an accident arising from the weakness of others.” This quote reflects what theme?
What is the illusion of power or imperial hypocrisy?
This event delays Marlow’s journey to Kurtz’s station.
What is the repair of the broken steamboat?
Marlow’s lie to the Intended reflects this theme.
What is the tension between truth and comfort?
Kurtz’s report for the Society ends with this disturbing postscript.
“Exterminate all the brutes!”
Kurtz dies after saying this chilling final phrase.
What is “The horror! The horror!”
The title Heart of Darkness symbolizes this idea.
What is the darkness within human nature or the moral void of imperialism?
The narrator ends the book by describing the river as leading into this symbolic place.
What is the heart of an immense darkness?
At the end, Marlow tells the Intended that this was Kurtz’s last word.
What is her name?