Featured Reading Guide
Joseph Conrad
WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY TIM BUTCHER The silence of the jungle is broken only by the ominous sound of drumming. Life on the river is brutal and unknown threats lurk in the darkness. Marlow s mission to captain a steamer upriver into the dense interior leads him into conflict with the others who haunt the forest. But his decision to hunt down the mysterious Mr Kurtz, an ivory trader who is the subject of sinister rumours, leads him into more than just physical peril.
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topAbout the Book
WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY TIM BUTCHER The silence of the jungle is broken only by the ominous sound of drumming. Life on the river is brutal and unknown threats lurk in the darkness. Marlow s mission to captain a steamer upriver into the dense interior leads him into conflict with the others who haunt the forest. But his decision to hunt down the mysterious Mr Kurtz, an ivory trader who is the subject of sinister rumours, leads him into more than just physical peril.
topStarting Points for Discussion
- In what ways does Conrad explore the relations between Africa and Europe in Heart of Darkness ?
- To what extent do you think Heart of Darkness represents a criticism of Imperialism? What does the novel suggest about colonial enterprise?
- How is darkness represented throughout the book? Does it’s meaning fluctuate? What is it used to symbolise?
- What is the importance of rivers in the novel? What do they represent?
- ‘No, they did not bury me, though there is a period of time which I remember mistily, with a shuddering wonder, like a passage through some inconceivable world that had no hope in it and no desire’ What impact does the journey have on Marlow? Does he ever overcome the darkness?
- Who is the true hero of the book, Marlow or Kurtz?
- Examining the characters of Kurtz’s intended and his native mistress, explore Conrad’s representation of women in Heart of Darkness . How do they compare to the central male characters?
- ‘The last word he pronounced was — your name’ Why does Marlow lie to Kurtz’s fiancée about Kurtz’s last words?
- “He cried out twice, a cry that was no more than a breath, “The horror! The horror!”“ To what horror does Kurtz allude in his dying sentence?
- Explore the theme of youth in Conrad’s short story. What does it come to signify?
- In what ways does Marlow’s character alter between Youth and Heart of Darkness ? What could be the cause of these changes?
Other Books by Joseph Conrad
Heart Of Darkness
In a novella which remains highly controversial to this day, Conrad explores…
Lord Jim
Nostromo: A Tale of the S…
The Heart of Darkness: And…
WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY TIM BUTCHER The silence of the jungle is broken only…
The Secret Agent: A Simple…
The Secret Agent: With an …
WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY GILES FODEN London is under threat. It has become a…
Typhoon And Other Stories
Suggested Further Reading
- Nine Nights ~ Bernardo Carvalho (Vintage, 2007)
- Blood River ~ Tim Butcher (Chatto & Windus, 2007) – Blood River website
Additional Online Resources
Conrad First: a digital archive of every newspaper and magazine in which the work of Joseph Conrad appeared between 1896 and 1935
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