The language that Conrad uses describes the woman as wild yet proud. The way she is portrayed makes her seem very important within the tribes. Conrad uses special imagery to show she is an important figure by describing what she wears and her surroundings in great detail. The figurative language Conrad is obvious because the woman is a metaphor for Africa. The diction used by Conrad is the most important part because it sets the foundation for the use of figurative language and imagery. The imagery used by Conrad is one of the main key elements in describing what is going on when Kurtz is taken away onto the steamer, specifically when he describes the woman who approaches the steamer. She’s described as being of the utmost importance because she is covered in jewelry and is dressed in what is considered by the natives as one of the most valuable items, brass. Her arms and legs are covered by “brass leggings and brass wire gauntlets” and she is described as leading ahead of all the other natives. The way Conrad describes her makes her seem civilized but in certain …show more content…
These forms of figurative language help the reader better understand what Conrad wants the reader to see. The woman is a metaphor for Africa because she is described as somewhat wild but still has some civilized attributes. Conrad also uses similes to show and compare the metaphor. For the woman he gives information to help the reader understand who the woman represents “She stood looking at us without a stir, and like the wilderness itself.” The woman is compared to the wild of Africa because Marlow compares her steadfastness to the wild which he had seen for months through his travels. This also shows that Africa, like the woman, has not changed even with the presence of the white men, they have both remained without a