An Analysis of Marlow's Choice in Heart of DarknessThe concepts of light and darkness have become synonymous with good and evil, especially in the realm of literature . Light is associated with heaven, happiness and hope, while darkness symbolizes hell, hatred and evil. However, in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, these general conventions are broken in that light symbolizes an evil far more threatening than any form of darkness. As readers seek to view light in a positive way, Conrad's gradual use of darker examples of light reflects the inner conflict and confusion of the novel's protagonist, Marlow, and his continued search for light in the world. At the beginning of the novel, the idea of ​​light as a torch and beacon remains, but the goal is no longer bright. Before Marlow reaches Africa, the Swedish captain remarks that “it’s funny what some people do for a few francs a month” (Conrad 10). The brilliant quest of civilizing “savages” is reduced to the prospect of riches. Marlow has long understood that the company operates for profit and is very hypocritical in its goals, believing the city in which it is located to be "a whitewashed sepulchre" (Conrad 6). Nevertheless, Marlow is still a member of society and considers himself "something like an emissary of light, something like a sort of lesser apostle" (Conrad 8), even though he realizes that they do not bring no light. The doctor who examines Marlow suggests that people change when they go to Africa, which foreshadows Marlow's later changes and perceptions. The first obvious reference to a reversal of traditional ideas that light is good and darkness symbolizes evil is found in the passage:Then I noticed a small oil sketch, on a panel, depicting... ... middle of paper ......s left him like a permanent wanderer. Unlike most sailors, “a simple stroll or a casual trip ashore was enough to reveal to him the secret of an entire continent” earned Marlow much more than he bargained for. Conrad's use of narrative framing places Marlow in a unique position in the story. history. Although he is the protagonist of the story, his position is very similar to that of the reader himself. Marlow's adventure down the river and into the heart of darkness causes him and the reader to question the morals and ideals given to us by society. Marlow ends the story on the River Thames after having gone through the entire experience of light and darkness. Like the reader, he can only continue to seek light in the heart of darkness. Works cited Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. Ed. Judith Boss and David Widger. Chapel Hill: Project Gutenberg, 2006. eBook.