How Does Joseph Conrad Use The Color White In Heart Of Darkness

Charon’s Passenger Joseph Conrad’s grim novel, Heart of Darkness, unearths the true nature of humanity as man travels further away from civilization. Marlow, an introspective explorer, journeys deep into the Congo on a quest for money and the elusive Kurtz. Conrad utilizes the color white as a motif to ironically symbolize the abdication of Marlow and Kurtz’s morality as they distance themselves from civilization by exposing the arbitrary distinctions between white and darkness. Typically white portrays light and clarity; however, Conrad employs the color white as an extension of darkness as seen in a fog that surrounds Marlow’s steamer. Marlow describes it as “ ‘very warm and clammy, and more blinding than the night’ ” (Conrad 35). In this instance, the white fog, instead of being the opposite of darkness, works as a continuation to darkness because it obscures Marlow’s vision and contributes to his confusion. This

Kurtz believes that “ ‘everything belonged to him,’ ” and yet, “ ‘how many powers of darkness claimed him for their own’ ” (44). His greed envelopes his entire mind and inflates his ego to the point that he cannot see his corruption around him. The “powers of darkness” represent the white ivory because it drives the greed that controls Kurtz. It also contradicts the common connotation of white ivory-- something pure and used for art and beauty-- and instead as something dark and evil. He deserts his morality after he “ ‘collected, bartered, swindled or stolen more ivory than all the other agents together’ ” (43). The greed and lust prompts Kurtz to steal and kill for ivory which epitomizes the dereliction of all of his morals. Journeying far away from civilization where strict rules exist prominently, the greed for white ivory stands above all rest and decays the precedences set by society and ultimately man’s