The white man is evil, or so says Joseph Conrad in his novel Heart of Darkness, which describes the colonial transformation of the symbolically angelic African wilderness into an evil haven for the white man. The novel presents a psychological journey into the core of evil or "heart of darkness" in one's own mind, as he or she progresses through the jungle. The reader follows Marlow, the novel's narrator, along such a journey. His psychological changes as he approaches the heart of darkness are evident, as the reader observes, in his views of the African natives, lying and Kurtz.

Marlow is an honest man. He sets out on a genuine search for answers to his questions of exploration of the unknown "when (he) was a little chap" (Conrad 64). Marlow was drawn to a certain place on the world map, called the Congo "the biggest, the most blank, so to speak---that (he) had a hankering after" (Conrad 64). Upon first entering the mouth of the Congo River, Marlow declares his stance on lies and those who lie. [He b

Though honest, Marlow is a prejudiced man; he is the epitome of colonialism. Going into the Congo, Marlow views the natives as prehistoric evils in desperate need of white influence and civilization. Throughout the physical journey, Marlow is confronted with the natives time and time again, seeing them chained as slaves, living in a village and attacking his own steam boat. Marlow holds fast his prejudiced view of the natives, referring to them as savages or even worse something so derogatory as "niggers'" (Conrad 65), until halfway through his journey. While drifting up the Congo, Marlow and his crew encounter a group of native on the shore. Instead of demeaning the natives, Marlow wishes he could join the natives in their primative behavior. Such a desire is a great step in the progress of Marlow's psyche. His desire to join the natives demonstrates his consumption by the heart of darkness, as he reverts back to a more savaged state of being. Furthermore, Marlow encounters Kurtz's mistress, a native, and describes her with awe and respect.

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Approximate Word count = 710
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)