Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (Book Analysis)

This practical and insightful reading guide offers a complete summary and analysis of Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. It provides a thorough exploration of the novella’s plot, characters and main themes, including colonialism, madness and savagery. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time.

This clear and detailed 64-page reading guide is structured as follows:

• Biography of Joseph Conrad
• Presentation of Heart of Darkness
• Summary of Heart of Darkness
• Character study
  • Charlie Marlow
  • Kurtz
  • The harlequin
  • The white characters
  • The black characters
  • The jungle
• Analysis of Heart of Darkness
  • Form
  • Themes

About Heart of Darkness

Heart of Darkness was published in 1899, when the majority of Africa was ruled by the European powers which had established colonies there. The novella was influenced by Conrad’s experiences working in the Belgian Congo in 1890, when he witnessed the violence and brutality of colonialism first-hand. In it, he explores the harsh conditions that seem to condemn the colonisers to indifference or madness, and shows how quickly the lines between civilisation and savagery can become blurred.

Heart of Darkness is widely regarded as one of the greatest works of fiction in English in the 19^th century, and served as the inspiration for Francis Ford Coppola’s epic war film Apocalypse Now.

About Joseph Conrad

Joseph Conrad, whose real name was Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, was born in Ukraine to Polish parents. However, he was orphaned when he was still a child, and so he decided to join the navy. He ended up spending more than 16 years in the British navy and became a British citizen in 1886. Thanks to his extensive experience at sea, which influenced much of his writing, he has become one of the most famous “sea authors”. Although Polish was his first language, he wrote all of his books in English, and is now recognized as one of the greatest English-language writers of the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries.