Heart of Darkness
Joseph Conrad
Contains spoilers for the entire book.
Discussion topics
Topic 01 of 08
On the Thames
Why does Conrad frame the story with Marlow telling it on a boat on the Thames?
Keep the conversation going
- What does Marlow mean when he says London too 'has been one of the dark places of the earth'?
- How does the listener's view change by the end?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.
Discussion topics
Why does Conrad frame the story with Marlow telling it on a boat on the Thames?
Keep the conversation going
- What does Marlow mean when he says London too 'has been one of the dark places of the earth'?
- How does the listener's view change by the end?
What does Marlow see of the Company's work as he travels upriver?
Keep the conversation going
- What did the grove of dying workers make you feel?
- How does the accountant's neatness contrast with what surrounds him?
What makes Kurtz so fascinating to everyone before Marlow even meets him?
Keep the conversation going
- What does his report and its scrawled postscript reveal?
- Why does Marlow remain loyal to him?
How does the journey upriver change Marlow?
Keep the conversation going
- What does the slow, foggy pace of the voyage add to the story?
- What did the attack on the steamer reveal about the people on board?
What do you think Kurtz means by 'The horror! The horror!'?
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- Is it a judgement of himself, of the world, or of both?
- Why does Marlow call it a kind of victory?
How does the novella portray the African people Marlow meets, and how do you respond to that portrayal today?
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- Whose voices are absent from the story?
- Does the book criticise empire, repeat its prejudices, or both?
Why does Marlow, who hates lies, lie to Kurtz's Intended?
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- Was it kindness or cowardice?
- What does it say about the civilisation waiting at home?
Where is the 'heart of darkness' by the end of the book?
Keep the conversation going
- Has Marlow brought any of it home with him?
- What does the closing image of the Thames suggest to you?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.