LITERARY ANALYSIS: Heart of Darkness is narrated from the perspective of a European exploring Africa. The passage conveys his pe
rspective on his journey into the unknown as he experiences new regions of the globe. How does the author characterize the narrator through the historical setting? In your response, cite textual evidence to support your analysis. Use and explain at least 3 pieces of textual evidence in a response of at least 500 words. (This should resemble more of a developed essay, not a single paragraph response.)
The author characterizes the narrator as a man who was strongly shaken by everything he witnessed in Africa.
This can be seen because:
The book's narrator, Marlow, is very excited to participate in the journey to colonize Africa.
This excitement is created by a strong influence of the setting where he finds himself.
This scenario is a prosperous Europe, due to strong colonization.
However, the narrator's excitement ends when he arrives in Africa.
The setting in Africa is very different from the setting in Europe.
In Africa, the narrator interacts with a scenario of poverty, exploitation, violence, devaluation, and decadence, all created by European colonizers.
The narrator is very shaken by this scenario and shows himself to be a physically and mentally ill man. He becomes weak, distraught, and unable to act normally.
This change in narrator characterization is very significant for "Heart of Darkness." This is because the author wanted to present an anti-colonial story, as he wanted to show that all people involved in colonialism and imperialism were negatively affected.
