Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, is a novel of the human psyche. It was written in 1899, and set primarily in late 1800’s Africa. In the book, the character Marlow asserts that “The mind of man is capable of anything- because everything is in it, all the past as well as all the future.” (Conrad 109). This quote holds true as the peripheral narrator takes the reader on a voyage to the free state of Congo, to take part in the ivory trade. As the story unfolds a group of characters is introduced, all of which struggle to maintain their sanity in the alternative environment. Conrad demonstrates the effortless way in which morals are compromised and thoughts are corrupted while trying to conform. The novel emphasizes the dimension of the human
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He spent most of his life studying the human mind. Freud achieved a lot in the duration of his career. His most infamous study would have to be that of the human personality. He defined this in three parts; the id, ego, and superego. The three corroborate to explain behavior and emotion. The id relates to a person’s basic needs. If those needs are not met it can greatly affect how a person acts. The most complex part is the ego. This helps people to understand and deal with reality. The superego adds to the concept of reality, by implementing morals. Freud suggests that everyone should aim to be primarily in the superego. Interestingly enough, Freud 's findings were thought to be controversial in the time period that Heart of Darkness was written. However, Conrad certainly executed the theory in his …show more content…
Conrad uses many literary techniques to prove Kurtz’s evil ways. This, however, can be made confusing because of the point of view. From the reader’s perspective, it is obvious that Kurtz’s is a greedy and arrogant leader. On the other hand, the narrator describes the other characters praising Kurtz. The way in which Kurtz solely relies on instinct, rather than reason, is evidence that Kurtz relies on his id. It isn’t possible to know for sure, but it can be assumed that Kurtz wasn’t always an empty shell of a person, he fell into madness while quite literally in the heart of darkness. "You should have heard him say, 'My ivory. ' Oh, yes, I heard him. 'My Intended, my ivory, my station, my river, my - ' everything belonged to him. 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 - but that was a trifle. The thing was to know what he belonged to, how many powers of darkness claimed him for their own. That was the reflection that made you creepy all over. It was impossible — it was not good for one either - trying to imagine. He had taken a high seat amongst the devils of the land - I mean literally." (Conrad 125). This quotation is one of the many examples of Kurtz losing himself. It also applies situational irony. As Kurtz
He spent most of his life studying the human mind. Freud achieved a lot in the duration of his career. His most infamous study would have to be that of the human personality. He defined this in three parts; the id, ego, and superego. The three corroborate to explain behavior and emotion. The id relates to a person’s basic needs. If those needs are not met it can greatly affect how a person acts. The most complex part is the ego. This helps people to understand and deal with reality. The superego adds to the concept of reality, by implementing morals. Freud suggests that everyone should aim to be primarily in the superego. Interestingly enough, Freud 's findings were thought to be controversial in the time period that Heart of Darkness was written. However, Conrad certainly executed the theory in his …show more content…
Conrad uses many literary techniques to prove Kurtz’s evil ways. This, however, can be made confusing because of the point of view. From the reader’s perspective, it is obvious that Kurtz’s is a greedy and arrogant leader. On the other hand, the narrator describes the other characters praising Kurtz. The way in which Kurtz solely relies on instinct, rather than reason, is evidence that Kurtz relies on his id. It isn’t possible to know for sure, but it can be assumed that Kurtz wasn’t always an empty shell of a person, he fell into madness while quite literally in the heart of darkness. "You should have heard him say, 'My ivory. ' Oh, yes, I heard him. 'My Intended, my ivory, my station, my river, my - ' everything belonged to him. 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 - but that was a trifle. The thing was to know what he belonged to, how many powers of darkness claimed him for their own. That was the reflection that made you creepy all over. It was impossible — it was not good for one either - trying to imagine. He had taken a high seat amongst the devils of the land - I mean literally." (Conrad 125). This quotation is one of the many examples of Kurtz losing himself. It also applies situational irony. As Kurtz