Marlow enjoys reasoning through analogy — “The Director of Companies was our captain and our host…He resembled a pilot, which to a seaman is trustworthiness personified.” (Conrad, 3)
Brief description of Marlow: “ sunken cheeks, a yellow complexion, a straight back, an ascetic aspect” (Conrad, 4)
The following description is given by the unknown narrator
Marlow remarks, “has been one of the dark places of the earth” (Conrad, 5) this quotation implies that the places not inhabited by humans are considered “dark”
This connotation brings up the notion that people bring brightness, happiness, optimism, and goodness
The narrator states that …show more content…
Faust made a pact with Mephistopheles “for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures”
Cannibalism is not uncommon in Congo, the latest popular incident of it happening in Congo was in the Second Congo War
“Marlow ceased, and sat apart, indistinct and silent, in the pose of a meditating Buddha”
“In general, ‘Buddha’ means ‘Awakened One’, someone who has awakened from the sleep of ignorance and sees things as they really are. A Buddha is a person who is completely free from all faults and mental obstructions. There are many people who have become Buddhas in the past, and many people will become Buddhas in the future….There is nothing that Buddha does not know. Because he has awakened from the sleep of ignorance and has removed all obstructions from his mind, he knows everything of the past, present, and future, directly and simultaneously.” (About Buddha)
This comparison makes sense as Marlow has traversed the unforgiving forests and witnessed the self-inflicted atrocities of humankind
Why does Conrad choose to fabricate this story in a “tale within a tale” fashion? What purpose will it serve in the future?
Who is this strange unknown narrator in the story? Does he/she get revealed