Themes:
Hypocrisy of Imperialism- to Marlowe-Kurtz-and the company, Africans are merely objects.
Madness from Imperialism- Kurtz and the power he held led him to become mad.
Moral Confusion- what is right with treating Africans and what is wrong.
Hybridity- the changing of one culture to abrogate into the European culture.
Symbols:
Fog- being lost in the fog and Marlow's boat being caught in the fog gives a sense of moving forward into the unknown.
Whited Sepulcher- symbolizes that whoever comes here is subject to death. There is a biblical image attached to this "White Sepulcher" which shows it off as a beautiful object but inside, it is filled with horror and dead bodies.
Heart of Darkness (Congo)- this is the major symbol. The Heart of Darkness is in fact the Congo which is the most dangerous place in Africa.
The River- The river is very symbolic in that when they are going up-stream, it is very difficult to do so. It is as if the uncertainty of Marlow in what he is doing is symbolic in the resistance of the water. As he is going back down, and away from the Congo, it is a very quick and easy ride.
Lackey, Michael, The moral conditions for genocide in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Copyright 2005 West Chester University.
Grant, J. Kerry. Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Copyright 2003 Heldref Publications.
JN