Heart of Darkness Pg 9-18By Oli McCully and Alex Lennon

What Happens?

Marlow gets to captain a boat› His aunt helps to secure this place for him

He fast-forwards to when he collects the previous captain’s body

He signs on with The Company There are two women knitting within the

office at The Company He arrives in Africa Sees some African natives rowing a boat

Themes Present in the Passage?

The fine line between good and evil (Whited sepulchre)

Exploration of an unknown land White dominance in a black land

The Fine Line Between Good and Evil

White and Black› Dead captain

Lack of anger/ remorse› Putting Africa/ the Africans down› The snake

The company› Is it evil?

Unsure when he signs on Whited Sepulchre

Whited Sepulchre

The description of Brussels as a whited sepulchers is a biblical allusion. It replicates the passage in the bible

‘Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead mans bones, and of all uncleanness’ Mathew 23:27

This allusion is used and is appropriate for Brussels due to the Hypocritical nature. The so called imperialisms civilizing mission was the outwardly projected image while within the Congo there was huge amounts of violence against the natives.

‘The two women knitting’

The scene where there are two women knitting black wool represents the Fates of the Greek legends: clotho and lachesis 

These Fates spin and measure out the thread of each life before Atropos cuts it. This allusion has been used as a symbol to foreshadow the death which was about to come. This allusion would of resonated with the audience of heart of darkness at the time as many had a deep understanding of Greek mythology.

Exploration of an Unknown Land

Marlow’s curiosity about Africa› Independence

The glory and danger associated› Mystery of the unknown land› Previous captain killed

White Man Dominating a Black Land

Marlow question’s the colonisation The Company

› Whited Sepulchre Natives worship of white colonisers

› The death of the previous captain Recurrence of reference to colours

LyricsMarlow’s talking bout his times,Bit more than whispers of some quiet conversations“Africa was his boyhood dream”,Asks his aunt to help but with no type of compensationsWants to work on a steaming boatThe last white man to do so killed by the Congo nativesTalks about the Belgian CompanyHurry Marlow it’s waiting there for you!

Gonna take a lot to drag me away from youThere’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever doI bless the rains down in AfricaGonna take some time to do the things we never had

Back to the Belgian companyThe only thing that Marlow feels from them is bad vibrationsSymbolism of the knitting mumsThey seemed to read his mind almost like the devil SatanA doctor measuring his headAll others to travel there have ended in damnation Arrives in AfricaHurry Marlow it’s waiting there for you!

Gonna take a lot to drag me away from youThere’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever doI bless the rains down in AfricaGonna take some time to do the things we never had