Joe Conrad Essay Research Paper Joseph Conrad

Joe Conrad Essay, Research Paper

Joseph Conrad was a very talented author. He started writing at the age of thirty-two, and began

telling many tales of his life on the sea. In his youth he was a sailor and traveled to many places

such as the Orient, and the Congo. It are his experiences on the Congo that serves as his primary

source for his story The Heart of Darkness. This book was actually a story of a man, Charles

Marlow, telling the story of his experience in Africa. While in Africa, Marlow’s attitude towards

life changes as can be seen in the following excerpts from the book.

"We live in the flicker-may it last as long as the old earth keeps rolling!" (68). When

Marlow gives that quote, he has not yet started his story. He is on a ship after a bad storm, and is

about to begin. This particular quote has a zest to it. It tells one to live every moment to the

fullest because life is but a flicker. This quote also tells the reader that Marlow wants to live a

long life. After finishing the book, his statement seemed a bit strange because Marlow’s tone

became less enthusiastic at the end. However, Marlow survived through the experiences he told

in his story. If he is still able to look back at his life and say, "may it last as long as the old earth

keeps rolling!," then he must make the most out of it, and not let a few bad experiences change

his attitude towards it.

I couldn’t help asking him once what he meant by coming there at all. ‘To make

money of course. what do you think?’ he said, scornfully. Then he got fever, and

had to be carried in a hammock slung under a pole…(86)

This quote tells the reader much about the type of men that went to Africa. Most went

only for the money-not giving a second thought to their health and safety. This particular man

got deathly ill, and still was concerned only for money. Conrad was making a statement in this

quote that too many people today do things only for money. Nobody works because they have a

passion for what they do. People are too willing to put their lives on the line just to make a little

money. Marlow was disgusted when the man snapped at him. Marlow he went to Africa because

he had desired to do so since he was a little boy. He was an explorer at heart, and did not risk his

life for money. People should follow their heart, not the money, and go where it takes them.

"I don’t like to work-no man does- but I like what is in the work- the chance to find

yourself." (97). In this quote, Marlow takes his first steps aboard his ship, and is overwhelmed

by all that needs to be done. His ship had sunk before he had arrived in Africa, and he had to

live in a station for two months while his ship was brought back to shore for repairs. His

comment on work shows the reader how much Marlow enjoys every aspect of life, much like

the first quote. When someone works, he learns about himself. He learns what he is capable of

doing, how quickly he can do it, and also how well he is able to perform the task. When Marlow

stepped on his ship, he not only saw a crisis, but also an opportunity to learn about how well he

could perform in his new environment. This quote also expresses Conrad’s view on work and