NRJ #1

From the start of the novel I can see a clear motif of light and darkness. Various elements of the novel are often likened to being either light or dark, civilized or uncivilized. The civilized in the novel being those that work for The Company and the uncivilized being the savage natives. Maslow, at one point even refers to himself as “an emissary of light”, and even goes as far to say he is “something like a lower sort of apostle” (Conrad 10). The character description of light when referring to members of the Company is in contrast to how natives of the Congo are referred. Marlow routinely refers to the natives in a derogatory manner, calling them “savages”, “cannibals”, or other outdated terms. The term “savage” is often connected to the darkness and uncivilized nature of the continent itself. Conrad uses this theme to convey how the “civilized” are seeking to impose their will on the “uncivilized”. This is evident in a scene where one of the “savages” is escorting his shackled country-men. The man is described as “one of the reclaimed, the product of new forces at work, strolled despondently, carrying a rifle by its middle. He had a uniform jacket with one button off, and seeing a white man on the path, hoisted his weapon to his shoulder with alacrity” (Conrad 13). Since the man was referred to as being a “reclaimed one” we can come to the conclusion that civilization was able to bring this savage back to the light and use him to help in the enslavement of the other savages.