Tsvetan's Entry on Part I of Heart of Darkness

The book starts out kind of slow and confusing. I didn’t really understand where the 5 men on the ship were and why they were there or how they know each other. They seem to be riveted by Marlow’s story and all have some kind of respect for him.

From what I know Joseph Conrad is considered to be one of the best authors at describing the setting and using vivid imagery to do so. I could see that in the book, but I felt like that’s all that was done for the first 20 pages and nothing really struck me or interested me in the story before Marlow went to the Company. Even there, all that was really shocking was the image of the overworked natives and the way they are treated. Marlow feels pity for them, but also considers them lower and primitive. He calls them savages and agrees with the general idea that the Africans working there were “criminals” and it was the reason for their punishment, but what the crime was, was unclear and unstated.

I feel like throughout the story there are a lot of signs and reasons for Marlow to go back or even not begin his journey, but he doesn’t, which shows his commitment and passion for what he does. He was able to go work for the company where he wanted, because one of the tradesmen working for them was killed by natives. After that, while on his way to the Company, the Swede shipman tells him about the traveler that hanged himself, overwhelmed by the sights he’s seen. Later on when he is about to finally start doing his work, Marlow’s ship turns out to be broken. All these ominous events represents the unpredictability and dangerousness of the jungle and those uncivilized territories and foreshadow what might come.