Who Marlow is
Marlow tells friends aboard the Nellie, a yacht on the Thames, about his journey up an African river. An unnamed listener passes on his account, so readers hear his experience through another voice. Marlow sometimes doubts his memory and questions whether anyone can truly share what he has experienced.
What Marlow wants
Marlow's interest begins with maps and the wish to command a steamer on a river that fascinates him. His aunt helps him secure a post with the Company, whose talk of progress soon meets a troubling reality.
As he travels, he hears conflicting accounts of Kurtz's gifts, ideas, illness and independence. Meeting Kurtz becomes his own purpose, and he especially wants to hear the agent speak.
How Marlow changes
At the Outer Station, Marlow witnesses chained workers and suffering that leave him ashamed and unsure how to help. The Company's greed and empty promises unsettle the language of progress surrounding his appointment.
Upriver, he admires the hungry African crew's restraint and sees more self-control in them than in the Europeans. He also begins to sense a shared humanity with the people along the riverbanks.
A best-known line
“The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much.”
Questions
Who is Marlow in Heart of Darkness?
Marlow is a sailor employed to pilot the Company's river steamer. He recounts his African journey to friends gathered on the Thames.
Why does Marlow want to meet Kurtz?
Marlow wants to understand the agent whose reputation reaches him through conflicting reports. His curiosity grows until hearing Kurtz speak matters deeply to him.
How does Marlow view the Company?
Marlow sees cruelty and greed beneath the Company's claims of progress. What he witnesses makes him question the promises surrounding its work.