Motifs In Heart Of Darkness

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Carly Beardshear Mrs. Hoxie IBSL I November 30, 2010 Motifs in Heart of Darkness In the novel, Heart of Darkness there are several motif's that convey the overall theme of the absurdity of evil. The main three motifs that one might find in the novel are darkness, the jungle, and the river. All of these motifs tie together in the book to reveal the over all theme of the corruption that occurs in the book. There are many quotes that can be found throughout the book that represent each one of these motifs. The most common found motif in Heart of Darkness is darkness. On page 13, Marlow says, "Black shapes crouched, lay, sat between the trees leaning against the trunks, clinging to the earth, half coming out, half effaced with the dim light, in all the attitudes of pain, abandonment, and despair".This quote adds to the tone of being dim and bleak. Marlow is describing his surroundings as being dark and gloomy. However, he is not just describing what he is seeing but he is going in depth about what he is hearing as well. The diction used in this quote is very broad and descriptive. This passage is extremely picturesque making it an example of imagery as well. Another example of this motif states "he frowned heavily, and that frown gave to his black death-mask an inconceivably sombre, brooding, and menacing expression" (Conrad 41). Marlow is describing the helmsman who has just died. This passage characterizes Marlow as being harsh because of the way he is describing this man. His descriptions are very vulgar for describing a man who has died. This quote adds to the motif of darkness in that it shocks the audience by the way Marlow is speaking of the helmsman. On page 66, Marlow says " The vision seemed to enter the house with me--the stretcher, the phantom-bearers, the wild crowd of obedient worshippers, the gloom of the forests, the glitter of the reach between
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