Question

"I don't want to bother you much with what happened to me personally," he began, showing in this remark the weakness of many tellers
of tales who seem so often unaware of what their audience would best like to hear; "yet to understand the effect of it on me you ought to know
how I got out there, what I saw, how I went up that river to the place where I first met the poor chap....
"I had then, as you remember, just returned to London after a lot of Indian Ocean, Pacific, China Seas-a regular dose of the East-Six
years or so, and I was loafing about hindering you fellows in your work and invading your homes, just as though I had got a heavenly mission to
civilize you. It was very fine for a time, but after a bit I did get tired of resting. Then I began to look for a ship-I should think the hardest work on
earth. But the ships wouldn't even look at me. And I got tired of that game, too.
"Now when I was a little chap I had a passion for maps. I would look for hours at South America, or Africa, or Australia, and lose myself in
all the glories of exploration. At that time there were many blank spaces on the earth, and when I saw one that looked particularly inviting on a
map (but they all look that I would put my finger on it and say, When I grow up I will go there."
(from "Heart
Darkness" by Joseph Conrad)
Which purpose does the author's use of flashback serve in the passage?
01. It provides background information about the character.
02. It provides background information about the current setting.
o
3. It provides fascinating information about different countries.
4. It provides fascinating information about the hardships of sailing.

Answer 1

Marlow is explaining the purpose of his story. He won't be telling every detail despite the sailors desire for this. Instead, he will be telling the effect the trip had on him. And in order to do this, Marlow must tell the internal and external journey. Meeting Kurtz interested Marlow but also affected his thinking. The meeting was sad and murky.