The plot in six lines
Aboard the Nellie at the mouth of the Thames, Marlow begins telling his friends about his voyage to Africa and questions the ideas used to justify conquest.
With his aunt's help, Marlow gains a post commanding a river steamer for the Company and visits its Brussels headquarters, where a doctor's questions unsettle him.
At the Outer Station, Marlow sees chained workers and others dying of hunger, then hears the chief accountant praise the ivory agent Kurtz before continuing overland.
Marlow reaches the Central Station to find his steamer sunk, and while repairing it, he hears conflicting accounts of Kurtz and discovers the manager's hostility towards him.
The repaired steamer travels upriver with hungry African crewmen whose restraint impresses Marlow, while fog and cries from the banks intensify his uncertainty and desire to hear Kurtz.
Marlow finds Kurtz ill and damaged by power, witnesses his death on the return journey, then returns to Europe and lies to the Intended about Kurtz's final words to spare her.
Themes
Empire: The Company's claims of progress contrast with chained workers, needless destruction and suffering, exposing the violence beneath its declared purpose.
Greed and power: Competition for ivory shapes the Company's rivalries, while Kurtz reveals what power can make of a person beyond the rules of home.
Human darkness: Marlow's journey turns inward as he recognises that the darkness he encounters belongs to human behaviour, not simply to a distant place.
Uncertain storytelling: The unnamed narrator repeats Marlow's account, while Marlow's doubts about memory and shared experience leave readers judging how far to trust him.
Appearance and reality: The accountant's spotless clothes and orderly books contrast with surrounding suffering, showing how an appearance of order can conceal moral emptiness.
Characters
- MarlowA seaman who tells the tale, hired to pilot a river steamer, and who grows more curious about Kurtz the farther he travels.
- KurtzA gifted ivory agent at the far Inner Station, spoken of by everyone, whom Marlow hopes to meet and understand.
- The general managerThe Company's cold and calculating chief at the Central Station, who wants to keep his post and his profits.
- The chief accountantA man in a spotless white suit at the Outer Station who keeps perfect books amid suffering and first mentions Kurtz.
- The brickmakerA gossiping agent at the Central Station who makes no bricks, talks of Kurtz with envy, and wants to rise in the Company.
- The helmsmanA young African man whom Marlow has trained to steer the steamer upriver.
For the A level English Literature exams, summer 2027
- The summer 2027 A level exams run from 10 May to 22 June 2027.
- Pearson Edexcel: Paper 2 (9ET0/02), Prose (Colonisation and its Aftermath), Thursday 20 May 2027, morning, 1 hour 15 minutes.
A two-week plan
- Day oneRead the 15-minute summary of Heart of Darkness from start to finish, then tell the story back to yourself in five sentences.
- Days two to threeA tale told on the Thames at dusk: Notice how Marlow's comparison with Roman conquest unsettles the distinction between civilised London and supposedly dark places.
- Day fourMarlow signs on with the Company: Watch how the office details and the doctor's questions undermine the aunt's language of progress.
- Day fiveThe coast shows empire at work: Notice the contrast between the accountant's spotless appearance and the suffering that surrounds his orderly work.
- Day sixWaiting at the Central Station: Follow how conflicting reports make Kurtz increasingly important to Marlow before the two men meet.
- Day sevenUpriver toward Kurtz: Watch how the African crew's restraint challenges the Europeans' assumptions about themselves and others.
- Day eightDarkness within, and how the tale is told: Notice how the framing voices and shifting images of darkness complicate any single explanation of Marlow's experience.
- Day nineThe cast: Marlow, Kurtz, The general manager, The chief accountant and The brickmaker. Write one line on what each of them wants.
- Day tenThemes: Empire; Greed and power; Human darkness; Uncertain storytelling; Appearance and reality. Pick one moment in the story for each.
- Day elevenForm: study how the story is told: the narrator, the order of events and the settings.
- Day twelvePractice: plan and write an essay on one theme, then read your argument back and test it against the story.
- Day thirteenPractice: try a second question with a different focus, such as a character or the form.
- Day fourteenRecap: reread your notes and the summary, say the plot out loud once, then rest.
From the boards' published specifications and final summer 2027 timetables, read on 23 October 2026. Ask your school which board and papers you sit.
Questions
What is Heart of Darkness about?
Heart of Darkness is about Marlow's search for Kurtz, an ivory agent whose reputation draws him deeper into the Company's African operations. His account explores imperial cruelty and the disturbing possibility that the darkness he encounters also exists within himself.
Who are the main characters in Heart of Darkness?
The main characters are Marlow, the sailor who tells his story, and Kurtz, the gifted ivory agent he seeks. The general manager, the chief accountant and the brickmaker reveal different aspects of Company life. The unnamed narrator listens aboard the Nellie and passes Marlow's account to the reader.
What are the main themes of Heart of Darkness?
The main themes are empire, greed, power, human darkness and the uncertainty of storytelling. Contrasts between claims of progress and scenes of suffering expose the gap between the Company's ideals and its actions. Marlow's doubts and the changing meanings of light and darkness also invite readers to question appearances.
Is Heart of Darkness a set text for A level English Literature?
Yes. Pearson Edexcel lists it in Paper 2 (9ET0/02), Prose (Colonisation and its Aftermath).
When are the A level English Literature exams in 2027?
The summer 2027 A level exams run from 10 May to 22 June 2027. Pearson Edexcel: Paper 2 (9ET0/02), Thursday 20 May 2027, morning.
