The Power in Nature

“‘Going up that river was like traveling back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings. An empty stream, a great silence, an impenetrable forest. The air was warm, thick, heavy, sluggish. There was no joy in the brilliance of sunshine. The long stretches of the waterway ran on, deserted, into the gloom of overshadowed distances. On silvery sand-banks hippos and alligators sunned themselves side by side. The broadening waters flowed through a mob of wooded islands; you lost your way on that river as you would in a desert, and butted all day long against shoals, trying to find the channel, till you thought yourself bewitched and cut off for ever from everything you had known once—somewhere—far away—in another existence perhaps. There were moments when one’s past came back to one, as it will sometimes when you have not a moment to spare for yourself; but it came in the shape of an unrestful and noisy dream, remembered with wonder amongst the overwhelming realities of this strange world of plants, and water, and silence. And this stillness of life did not in the least resemble a peace. It was the stillness of an implacable force brooding over an inscrutable intention. It looked at you with a vengeful aspect.’” (Page 102-103)

Much of the impact of Heart of Darkness is based on its full description of events and surroundings. Because of the intense surroundings, many of the characters have been driven to varying degrees of madness or insanity. In this passage, Marlow first describes the jungle by just commenting on the nature, but then he goes further into the impact of being within the wilderness. This description is written in the way that causes the reader to almost experience the same thoughts as Marlow was having and allows for more of an understanding of why people were driven mad in the jungle.

Conrad begins this passage with a very powerful description of  the forest that shows why it seems to contain a hidden power. He uses strong words such as “rioted,” “kings,” or “impenetrable” to describe Marlow’s surroundings. All of these words connote immense power and fortitude. He also makes the jungle feel oppressive, describing the air as “warm, thick, heavy, sluggish”, all of which create the image of an inescapable pressure.  After introducing the audience to this force, Marlow describes how it changed his thought process. While recalling the way he thought in chains of questioning and recalling, the writing is a run-on sentence that mimics the described thinking style.

Characters such as Kurtz or the Russian have been living in the jungle for a while and dealing with what Marlow was only exposed to for a short while. This passage gives insight into how the jungle would begin to alter your mind. Marlow characterizes nature as a brooding and vicious force that is waiting to attack you. For the characters who have been living in the jungle for a while, perhaps they too felt as though they were in danger or became lost in their worries and observations as Marlow did. Having to experience the insecurity demonstrated in this passage over extended periods of time somewhat explains why Kurtz changed so much and the Russian was such an odd character, and that it wasn’t just faults in themselves. However, it also gives more power to Marlow who was able to combat the negative powers of the jungle.

Part of the power given to Marlow’s character is that he returned from his trip to the wilderness a more observant and moral person, while others succumbed to the darkness and lost themselves. This passage shows the reader how one place could impact people so profoundly. It also shows how characters who were  impacted by the jungle and what parts of its presence would cause insanity or immense character changes. In its explanation of nature's power, it also uses Marlow’s personal experience, showing that he too was tempted by it. However, since Marlow was strong enough not to give in, Conrad can also use his explanation of other’s faults to improve Marlow.