God and Sin in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness :: Heart Darkness essays

God and Sin in Heart of Darkness A long debated issue that has plagued human beings since the fall of man is what leads people to commit evil actions and whether evil is inherent in all people. In the literary work of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Marlow grapples with those two similar issues. They way in which Charlie Marlow, the protagonist and skipper, goes about determining the answers are by observing his and other people's goals and motivations throughout his voyage of discovery and self-enlightenment in the Congo of Africa. In the novel Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad seems to be suggesting that the environment pushes people to their extremes, so they commit evil actions. I agree with this idea because in the Bible it says; "1 Corinthians 15:33, ...bad company corrupts good character." Anybody can look around and see that the world is evil. You may see people like politicians doing good for the community on the news, but you know that they are truly looking out for their own self-benefit, more money and publicity. Or even in the novel where it tells about Kurtz having the most successful ivory station in Africa, the way in which he achieved this is by raiding other tribes of their possessions. The Bible states that in "1 John 2:16, For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world." There are several cases of people having mental breakdowns because of stress from the world's imperfectness. This mental collapse sometimes results in them attempting to, or actually murdering others, or even committing suicide. In "Jeremiah 17:9, The Heart is more deceitful that all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand it?" This verse gives proof that our hearts are sick from the evil in them, which corrupts good judgment and self-restraint. For another example the character Kurtz, the owner of the inner station, which is the most successful station, turned his back on his European roots. Kurtz became a god to the natives, and killed people who displeased him. Evidently, one has to admit, whether or not they believe in God, that the world is evil, corrupt, and man is prone to react abnormally to a difference of environment.