moralhod Moral Ambiguity in Joseph Conrads Heart of...

Moral Ambiguity in Heart of Darkness In Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness we see various attitudes toward morality. It is extremely difficult, maybe impossible, to deduce the exact endorsement of morality that Conrad intended. Conrad provides his readers with several instances where the interpretation of morality is circumstantial, relative, and even indeterminable. One finds many situations in the novel that lie somewhere between morality, immorality, and amorality. A few examples from the novel that illustrate this idea are: the depiction of Kurtz as revealed through Marlowe, Marlowes own actions and thoughts, and the Kurtz death scene. In the case of Kurtz, Conrad seems to give us blatant amorality. Conrad constantly†¦show more content†¦Conrad seemingly implies that Marlowe endorses morality or is a moral character. The idea of restraint, which Marlowe is so insistent upon throughout his tale, might stand for an idea of morality. Marlowe insinuates that morality, or restraint, would have saved Kurtz. Marlowe claims that his helmsmans death is a result of his lack of restraint: Poor fool! If only he would have left that shutter alone (51.) Marlowe blames a lack of restraint for Kurtz death as well. Marlowe goes on, no restraint-just like Kurtz-a tree swayed by the wind. Had Kurtz possessed some sort of restraint, he may not have become unsound. The imagery of the swaying tree in this passage begs the reader to see amoral individuals as powerless and fallible while affirming Marlowes belief in a moral system. Another example of Marlowes endorsement of a moral system lies in his recollection of finding the Russians marked copy of An Inquiry into some Points of Seamanship. Marlowe is surprised to find that someone in the darkness of the jungle still displays an honest concern for the right way of going to work (39). The very mention of the term right way makes an argument for Marlowes preoccupation with morality. This passage illustrates Marlowes unquestionable disposition to find what is moral or right, hence leading the reader to believe that he is a moral character. However, on the very next page of the novel, our view of Marlowe is undermined. As the