Civilization vs. Savagery
A major theme of Heart of Darkness is civilization
versus
savagery. The book implies that civilizations
are created by the
setting of laws and codes that encourage men
to achieve higher
standards. It acts as a buffer to prevent
men from reverting back
to their darker tendencies
Civilization, however, must be learned. London
itself, in the book
a symbol of enlightenment, was once "one of
the darker places of
the earth" before the Romans forced civilization
upon them.
While society seems to restrain these savage
tendencies, it does
not get rid of them. These primeval tendencies
will always be like
a black cloth lurking in the background.
The tendency to revert to savagery is seen
in Kurtz. When Marlow
meets Kurtz, he finds a man that has totally
thrown off the
restraints of civilization and has de-evolved
into a primitive
state.
Marlow and Kurtz are two opposite examples
of the human condition.
Kurtz represents what every man will become
if left to his own
intrinsic desires without a protective, civilized
environment.
Marlow represtens the civilized soul that
has not been drawn back
into savagery by a dark, alienated jungle.
The book implies that every man has a heart
of darkness that is
usually drowned out by the light of civilization.
However, when
removed from civilized society, the raw evil
of untamed lifestyles
within his soul will be unleashed.
The underlying theme of Heart of Darkness is
that civilization is
superficial. The level of civilization is
related to the physical
and moral environment they are presently in.
It is a much less
stable or permanent state than society may
think.