OCT.8+-+HW

Do a quick description of the four settings. Then write about a theme or motif you have seen so far.

-The room mentioned is somewhat deserted but occupied. The fact that it is in a narrow and deserted street already depicts its bareness--both literally and figuratively. There is a table, plain chairs, and a colorful map. Everything else seems quite insipid other than the map on the wall. -The French steamer has soldiers and custom-house officers that are to be landed later. The coast, as it 'slips by' when the ship is moving is described. Off of the steamer, Marlow explains the scene he witnesses: "The edge of a colossal jungle, so dark-green as to be almost black, fringed with white surf, ran straight, like a ruled line, far, far away along a blue sea whose glitter was blurred by a creeping mist" (Conrad 78) -The rocky cliff has houses with iron roofs, amongst a wast of excavations. It is described as an "inhabited devastation." -The hut described is built of horizontal planks where the sunlight shines through during the day. Also, there is a high stool on which the he wrote.

You can constantly see descriptions of the environment and people Marlow sees when he is telling his stories. However, no matter what the content of the story may be, never is the narrative told in a bright manner. The entire story as a whole is quite dark and dull--just as the title of the book suggests. With the visuals of slavery, trade, and violence, darkness is such an obvious element to Conrad's story. Even when some 'happier' parts are described, they are exaggerated to an extent that makes it seem ironic to have such a positive ambiance.