Character Symbolism in Heart of Darkness
             In Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad breaks from writing the usual novel about the sea and those whose life is the sea, and tells a story about one mans experiences in the Congo during the attempt of civilizing it. He tells the story by the view point of Marlow, a seaman and wanderer. He is on board the "Nellie", a cruising yawl, with four others. Marlow takes his shipmates to a deep part of Africa with his story and speaks of all the terrors he saw there. He also opens the eyes of the reader letting them see the death, disease, and the fierceness of the Congo. Not only that but we can also see the injustices the Europeans inflicted upon the natives.
             Heart of Darkness isn't just an account of one mans experiences of the Congo, it goes much deeper. Conrad also uses symbolism throughout the entire account. He uses the surroundings and people to represent certain aspects of human nature and morals. He compares and contrasts good and evil, making this story more than just a once in a life-time experience, but something to apply to everyday of life. In this story he shows us that there is just as much going on inside, as well as out.
             Symbolism plays a big part in Marlow 's tale. Joseph Conrad portrays the individuals in Heart of Darkness not only as the characters of the story, but also as symbols to represent something deeper in the story. He uses two of the main characters, Marlow and Kurtz, to contrast good and evil, light and darkness. Also used as symbols, we see Kurtz's fiancee and other persons that Marlow comes across in the Congo, such as the brick maker, the Manager, and the Accountant. They all play an important part in telling the story and showing the true meaning of what Conrad thinks of the human mind and their behavior.
             We first see Marlow, a symbolism of morality and light. As soon as Marlow sets foot in the Congo and looks around at what is going on...