Heart Of The Ideal (Heart Of Darkness)

In the Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, Marlow, the main character, learns much about others and the world as he journeys down the Congo River; he learns more about himself than anyone or anything else. Marlow makes three journeys, to the first station, to the central station, and to the inner station. During each journey Marlow learns something about himself and his ideal. Each of the characters Marlow meets, at each station, is a shadow of the lessons Marlow learns. First, he meets the Accountant who is only concerned with the surface reality. Second, he meets the Manager who is concerned with maintaining his position by manipulating others. Third, he meets Kurtz--an idealist who has perverted the ideal--whom Marlow is being sent to save. Marlow identifies with Kurtz more than with the first two men because Kurtz is honest, and Marlow claims that his ideal is not to tell a lie. Marlow is an idealist also, and for this reason he identifies with Kurtz. Finally, Marlow too finds himself falling short of his ideal. At the end of the story it will be discovered who the true hero of the ideal is.

The first character Marlow meets, on his journey, is the Accountant. As Marlow is walking to the first company station he encounters a chain-gang. Because Marlow is "not very particularly tender" he "turned and descended to the left. [His] idea was to let that chain-gang get out of sight before [he] climbed the hill." In avoiding the sight of the chain-gang Marlow finds himself in a worse condition. Seeking refuge from the truth and the light, Marlow steps into the shade. As soon as Marlow steps into the shade he finds himself in "the gloomy circle of some Inferno." In an attempt to escape the truth he discovers the truth. Marlow finds people who "were dying slowly" who were "shadows of disease and starvation, lying confusedly in the greenish gloom." Having seen enough of these horrible visions, Marlow hurriedly escaped "towards the station." As Marlow comes close to the building he meets a man, the Accountant:

[He] saw a high starched collar, white cuffs, a light alpaca jacket, snowy trousers, a clean necktie, and varnished boots. No hat. Hair parted, brushed, oiled, under a green-lined parasol held in a big white hand. [The Accountant] was amazing . . .

Marlow respected every aspect of the Accountant. The Accountant's appearance is a miracle "in the great demoralization of the land." The Accountant is devoted to keeping his books in "apple-pie order." Marlow notes, "everything else in the station [is] in a muddle."

The Accountant becomes the epitome of Marlow's attempt to escape the truth. He accomplished what Marlow tried to accomplish on his way to the first station. Marlow was unable to avoid the truth by walking in the darkness. The Accountant turned the truth into his own escape of the truth itself. This escape is seen in the Accountant's greatest accomplishment, training a native woman to mange his clothes. Marlow's learns an important lesson because of his experience at the first station--stand in the light and in the truth; do not be afraid of it. After learning this lesson Marlow finds himself on another journey, deeper into the heart of darkness.

On Marlow's journey to the central station his companion catches a "fever, and had to be carried in a hammock slung under a pole." Because the fellow weighed over two hundred pounds the slaves, who were carrying him, quarreled at no end. Some of the slaves "jibbed, ran away, sneaked off with their loads in the night--quite a mutiny." So Marlow steps up and talks to all the slaves speaking in "English with gestures, not one of which was lost to the sixty pairs of eyes before [him]." The next morning Marlow was at the front of the hammock, helping the slaves carry his companion. After reaching the central station he had his first interview with the second character, the Manager:

[The Manager] was commonplace in complexion, in feature, in manners, and in voice. He was of middle size and of ordinary build. His eyes, of the usual blue, were perhaps remarkably cold, and he certainly could make his glance fall on one as trenchant and heavy as an axe. . . . [E]ven at these times the rest of his person seemed to disclaim the intention.

The Manager, Marlow explains, "[is] obeyed, yet he inspire[s] neither love nor fear, nor even respect. He inspire[s] uneasiness. . . . Not a definite mistrust--just uneasiness--nothing more." Marlow notes that this ability can be very effective. Even still, the Manager has "no genius for organizing, for initiative, or for order. That [is] evident in such things as the deplorable state of the station."

The Manager, like the Accountant, is a shadow of Marlow. He had stepped up and taken control of the savages, much like Marlow did with the "hammock" issue (discussed above). The difference between Marlow and the Manager is the Manager turned his control into his ideal. The Manager could only keep things under control--keep things going. This ability was a secret that he would never give away. Yet, the greatness that the Manager had achieved had turned him hollow. At the central station, Marlow learns more about himself and his ideal. Marlow becomes aware of the power of power and how power can empty a man. Learning this lesson Marlow moves onto his journey. Again Marlow must go deeper into the heart of darkness.

As Marlow is journeying to the inner station his boat is attacked by natives. During the attack Marlow's helmsman is shot by an arrow and killed. Marlow did not notice until he felt the warm blood seeping into his shoes. There is a bond between Him and his helmsman:

[H]e had done something, he had steered; for months [Marlow] had him at [his] back--a help--an instrument. It was a kind of partnership. He steered for [him]--[Marlow] had to look after him, [Marlow] worried about his deficiencies, and thus a subtle bond had been created, of which [Marlow] only became aware when it was suddenly broken.

Marlow misses the helmsman and never forgets him. After this tragedy, he reached the inner station, the heart of darkness. This is where he met the third and last character, Kurtz:

[Kurtz] looked at least seven feet long. His covering had fallen off, and his body emerged from it pitiful and appalling as from a winding-sheet. [Marlow] could see the cage of his ribs all astir, the bones of his arm waving. It was as though an animated image of death carved out of old ivory had been shaking its hand with menaces at a motionless crowd of men made of dark and glittering bronze.

Kurtz