Abstract

Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness applies the symbolism to narrate the captain Marlow’s early story happened in the Congo River. It describes his process of getting acquainted with a European colonist Kurtz. When this novella has being created, Britain was in the late Victorian. Hiding behind the surface of economic prosperity due to industrialization development, individuality had been overturn, materialized and alienated. Conrad exposed these changes to the sun. He disclosed and criticized the evil of colonists and colonial expansion by using symbolic technique. He also showed his concealed concern about the loss of colonists’ humanity in this way. 

Key words: Symbolism, Symbolic implication, Heart of Darkness

CONTENTS

中文摘要

Abstract

1. Introduction-

1.1 General introduction to Conrad and his work1

1.2 Symbolic meanings of the title.3

2. Symbol revolving around the “darkness” and “whiteness”-

2.1 Symbols of darkness.5

2.2 Symbols of whiteness7

3.  “Heart” and other important symbolic implications-

3.1 Symbols about heart-

  3.1.1 The heart of African continent—the Congo Free State-

3.1.2 The heart of Marlow-9

3.1.3 The heart of colonists-

3.2Other important symbolic implications-10

3.2.1 Fog-

3.2.2 Women-

3.2.3 The River-

4. Conclusion-12

References.13