Closely linked to the themes of order and disorder are those of sanity and insanity. Madness, given prolonged exposure to the isolation of the wilderness, seems an inevitable extension of chaos. The atmospheric influences at the heart of the African continent—the stifling heat, the incessant drums, the whispering bush, the mysterious light—play havoc with the unadapted European mind and reduce it either to the insanity of thinking anything is allowable in such an atmosphere or, as in Kurtz's case, to literal madness. In the wilderness, he came to believe he was free to do whatever he liked, and the freedom drove him mad.
Conrad's use of metaphors and his wide generalization of human nature, especially when attempting to talk about insanity and madness are prevalent themes throughout the book. Language spoken in allegories are almost proverb like in Heart of Darkness, and I think it's one of the many reasons I enjoy the book. Very rarely will Conrad actually say what he means, and I believe that in that, he adds many layers of importance and depth to his stories. They're not as simple as a man traveling the Congo, but it's framed narrative has many literary precedents. It's one of my personal favorites, and has been a milestone for many of the famous writers, filmakers, etc. Even parts of the now infamous Apocalypse Now are based off parts of this story. It's easy to see all the acclaim it's been awarded.
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I agree that there is a definate presence of insanity in this story. I believe in the end that Marlow shows signs of insanity from his experience in the Congo.
ReplyDeleteI had the same idea that insanity was a large part of the story. The continent made people mad back when it was still mostly unexplored.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I really liked Apocalypse Now. Especially the scene where they play "Flight of the Valkyrie." Excellent scene.
It is interesting how the narrator makes a distinction between "madness of the mind" and "madness of the soul". In Kurtz case he states that it is "Madness of the soul" rather than the mind. I"m not sure I understand what he is getting at, but Kurtz insanity did seem to be less about a lack of logic and more about a twisted logic. I need to read this book at least two more times! I agree with you that the layers of meaning are phenomenal!
ReplyDeleteI would agree that this whole story about the struggle of good verses evil, order and disorder. I was wondering why did the freedom drive Kurtz mad? Was it too much disorder?
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