Essay on Irony in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness

Irony in Heart of Darkness The use of irony within the ‘The Heart of Darkness’ by Conrad is an important notion. Irony in this novella helps to bring about encapsulating self-discovery and enlightenment of the self. Furthermore the use of characters and what they represent also brings about communicating what it means to be civilised. Thus these two facets shall be the focus within my essay. Firstly each of the main characters in Heart of Darkness plays a significant role in the overall theme of the novel, as mentioned above. The central character is a thirty two year old sailor, Charlie Marlow. He is a dynamic character who essentially controls the development of the theme. Through Marlows experiences and revelations,†¦show more content†¦When the two come face to face, each man sees a reflection of what he might have become in the other. In Kurtz, Marlow sees the potential for his dark self to emerge if he were to continue to survive in the savage soils of Africa. In Marlow, Kurtz sees himself as he once was: a man of innocence and civilization. Thus, Marlow and Kurtz symbolize both the light and dark forces of a single soul. Like Marlow, Kurtz came to the Congo in hopes to bring light and civilization to a backwards society. He is a highly educated, refined gentleman; yet, in the end, the brutal nature of the Congo forces him to resort to the life of a murderer and pilferer. The irony remains steeped in the notion that these people do not need help from these self defined. With his eventual physical and mental demise, he dies unknowing of the dismay held within his life. Conrad supplies an opinion before we are introduced to his actions, with the name Kurtz itself having a symbolic meaning. The physical shortness in Kurtz implies a shortness of character and spirit (Heart of Darkness: A systematic evaluation). Perhaps this shortness in character, some inferiority ingrained within him aids his eventual downfall. Moreover the sense of irony is held both within the characters and the disparity that one can find between them. For example Conrad greatly contrasts between Kurtzs two mistresses. HeShow MoreRelated Symbols, Setting, and Ironies of Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness1201 Words   |  5 PagesSymbols, Setting, and Ironies of Heart of Darkness   Ã‚   Joseph Conrads novel, Heart of Darkness, is about many things: seafaring, riverboating, trade and exploration, imperialism and colonialism, race relations, the attempt to find meaning in the universe while trying to get at the mysteries of the subconscious mind. 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