So, Part III, was, like the others, a bit slow and complicated. I still had a lot of trouble following the plot and what was really going on, and the fact that I still have a weak understanding of Part I and Part II doesn't help it. I look back, and really can't form any thoughts on what the book was about or the main point Conrad had. I wish I could though, I strongly admire the way he writes.
I wonder why Marlow lies about Kurtz's last words. In part II he showed little sympathy in terms of death, but when it came to Kurtz death, he felt bad for the girl and said what he did to comfort her slightly. I find it curious considering, he seemed unhappy with who he found Kurtz to be, while he realyl depended on the Helmsman. Why would he show less pity for him than for Kurtz?
The last sentence of Part II:
"-seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness."
and well as the last line of the 2nd to last paragraph:
"It would have been too dark-too dark altogether.'
Are examples of how darkness is the motif. It plays a physical role and metophorical role. It is used in the setting, giving us a gloomy and depressing vibe of both the narrator's setting and Marlow's. It also though, describes character's and emotions, rather than physical things. I orignally, during part I, assumed the "darkness" was related to race. The significance of the African's didn't last throughout the novel, but I predicted that it would, and that "Heart of Darkness" meant the feelings and characteristics of the black people doing labor. Obviously now, that seems off topic. It's more related to the Congo as a whole. What it gives off and what it looks like. The setting and it's details have proven to be the most important factor in the book.
Marlow, like the narrator said, left me kind of clueless. It didn't seem like a conclusion to the story, as much as I would like. Similarly, the narrator sort of leaves us hanging. We never the the details I hoped would come. Like who the narrator was, what he was like. Who the lawyer, director and accountant were, and why they were listening, etc. Im assuming it was intentional, but I don't think it made me feel the way Conrad intended me to feel.
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I really liked what you said about the darkness. I agree that it definitely adds to the gloomy vibe in the setting and that I found it to be really a significant part when describing the river and the jungle. I also liked what you had to say about the darkness having to do with the African characters. I didn't predict that and I found it really insightful.
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