Heart of Darkness, Part II summary

What happens

1. Marlow overhears the manager and his uncle resent Kurtz’s influence and ivory shipments, and suggest that the climate can remove rivals.
2. The Eldorado Expedition departs, and Marlow takes the steamboat upstream with the manager, pilgrims, and an African crew.
3. Navigation and machinery demand constant attention as Marlow reflects on the forest, people ashore, and their shared humanity.
4. At an abandoned hut, the travelers find firewood and a warning; Marlow takes a worn seamanship book with mysterious marginal notes.
5. Eight miles from Kurtz’s station, they stop overnight; morning fog and unexplained cries prevent departure and frighten the pilgrims.
6. The crew’s leader proposes eating whoever makes the cries, but Marlow marvels that the starving crew does not attack its outnumbered employers.

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What to notice

The crew’s self-control contradicts Marlow’s expectations. Their hunger makes this restraint more puzzling to him than the frightening cries.

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