Heart of Darkness: who's who, timeline and places
Everyone in Heart of Darkness, what happens when, and where, without spoilers: tell us how far you have read and we show only what you already know.
- MarlowMarlow tells how he gains a Company river captaincy through his aunt.First seen in part 1
- the narratorThe narrator waits aboard the Nellie and reflects on the Thames and its maritime history.First seen in part 1
- Marlow’s auntMarlow’s aunt helps him obtain a river captaincy with the Company.First seen in part 1
- KurtzKurtz is a Company rival whose influence and ivory shipments trouble the manager.First seen in part 2
- the managerThe manager resents Kurtz and travels upstream aboard the steamboat with Marlow.First seen in part 2
- the manager’s uncleThe manager’s uncle joins him in discussing Kurtz as a rival.First seen in part 2
- the African crewThe African crew travels upstream with Marlow and shows restraint despite hunger.First seen in part 2
- the RussianThe Russian praises Kurtz and describes nursing him through illness.First seen in part 3
- Part 1
Five men wait aboard the Nellie on the Thames for the tide to change.
- Part 1
Marlow questions conquest and imagines Roman newcomers confronting Britain.
- Part 1
Drawn by a river on a map, Marlow gains his aunt’s help in obtaining a Company captaincy.
- Part 1
Marlow visits unsettling Company offices and undergoes a medical examination.
- Part 1
During his coastal voyage, Marlow sees a French warship firing into the bush.
- Part 2
Marlow overhears the manager and his uncle discussing Kurtz’s influence and ivory shipments with resentment.
- Part 2
The Eldorado Expedition departs, and Marlow pilots the steamboat upstream with the manager, pilgrims, and an African crew.
- Part 2
Dangerous water, navigation, and machinery demand Marlow’s constant attention.
- Part 2
A warning beside a woodpile and cries through thick fog deepen the uncertainty.
- Part 2
The hungry African crew’s restraint makes Marlow question his assumptions about human behavior.
- Part 3
The Russian praises Kurtz while describing his ivory raids, illness, and threat to kill him.
- Part 3
Through binoculars, the narrator discovers severed heads on posts outside Kurtz’s house.
- Part 3
Kurtz commands an armed crowd before being carried aboard the steamer.
- Part 3
An elaborately dressed woman silently confronts the steamer.
- Part 3
After learning that Kurtz ordered the attack, the narrator finds him missing at midnight and intercepts him near his followers’ camp.
Hidden until you have read that far.
- Thames estuaryThe Thames is where five men wait aboard the anchored Nellie.First seen in part 1
- The coastMarlow travels along the coast and sees a French warship firing into the bush.First seen in part 1
- the riverA river on a map draws Marlow toward seeking a Company captaincy.First seen in part 1
- Kurtz’s stationKurtz’s station is the destination of Marlow’s dangerous journey upstream.First seen in part 2
- The steamerThe steamer carries Marlow, the manager, pilgrims, and an African crew upstream.First seen in part 2
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