The Darkness In Heart Of Darkness

The Darkness in Heart of Darkness

It can be said that a certain degree of darkness lies within every person,

but this darkness will not surface unless given the correct environment. The

darkness, however, can emerge and ultimately destroy the person if not checked

by reason. If one's inner darkness does surface, the victim then is given the

opportunity to reach a point in personal growth, and to gain a sense of self-

knowledge from it. That is, when one's darkness appears, one must learn from

this experience how he or she can prevent similar results from occurring in the

future. It is ultimately through self-knowledge that we gain the power to

defeat our inner darkness, and all of its elements. Just as everyone has the

potential for evil within themselves, we too have the potential for true

goodness. In many literary works the author attempts to exemplify the evil

which lies within by showing many characters which have been, or are being

overcome by their inner darkness. In the novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph

Conrad we see how Marlow's journey into his ultimate evil, into his inner self,

can be a positive experience. By contrasting Marlow with Kurtz, who represents

the absolute evil, we can see the two products of an inner evil which has

emerged. Marlow, who defeats his evil, and gains self-knowledge, and Kurtz, who

is defeated by his darkness and falls prey to its wrath. In William Golding's

Lord of the Flies the author points out how easily people can be over taken by

the darkness, how the potential for good can be destroyed by the evil, but

ideally how good will triumph. Through an examination of these two works we can

see how the darkness within, given the correct environment will surface. The

circumstances which eventually cause the appearance of the inner darkness in

these two novels stems from the lack of civility, the true test, or journey

which every life contains, and finally the product of evil which lies in all of

us, either through acts of commission or omission.

When people lack the aspect of civility in their lives they too will lack

the restraints and barriers it has on one's inner evil. Civility, in essence,

provides the basic structure for good. Through laws, structure, and general

order, goodness then, for the most part will be the end product. Therefore a

lack of civility would result in a lack of order, morals, and laws, leaving

chaos to over power. The desolate island in The Lord of the Flies represents a

lack of civility. Without parents, law makers, and guardians the darkness which

surfaces is inevitable. Piggy said in a feared state upon this realization:

"This is an island? Well I think this is an island! That's a reef out in the

sea. That means we are all alone! Perhaps there aren't any grownups anywhere"

(Golding 4). It is clear that the civilization of the modern world is

unavailable on the island. Although Ralph, who represented the aspect of order,

attempts to reach a point of civility, unfortunately was unsuccessful. He said

in his struggle: "We've got to have rules and obey them. After all we're not

savages. We're English, and the English are the best at everything" (Golding

25). Ironically the very group he was talking to broke order and formed the

savage group known as the 'hunters'. Similarly Piggy too represents civility.

He incorporates the conch which to aids in the order of the island. He is very

fearful of the lack of civility and scared by the hunters. He feels that

civility and order, although the ideal route, was going to be crushed, and with

it him: "We can't do this, the savages, they would crush us" (Golding 54). It

is quite obvious how the potential evil in a group of young boys unavoidably

arises due to the lack of restraint and order. When the darkness surfaces Jack

and his group of hunters gain no self-knowledge, and therefore can not reprieve

themselves nor the evil which takes over.

A strong parallel can be drawn between the island in Lord of the Flies and

The Congo in The Heart of Darkness. The Congo in is similarly used to represent

the