Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness utilizes light and dark to shape his character’s beliefs and actions during the period of Belgian imperialism. For centuries, light and dark have been common motifs in literature, used to depict the subconscious personality of characters. Conrad uses the contrast of light and dark to highlight both the power and oppression felt during Belgian imperialism in the African Congo, resulting in a change of character in Marlow and Mr. Kurtz. In Thomas Foster’s How to
English Language and Literature Studies; Vol. 5, No. 1; 2015 ISSN 1925-4768 E-ISSN 1925-4776 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education 13 Historicizing Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness: A Critique of King Leopold II’s Colonial Rule Isam Shihada1 1 Associate Professor of English Literature and Gender Studies, Department of English, Gaza Strip, Palestine Correspondence: Isam Shihada, Associate Professor of English Literature and Gender Studies, Department of English, Gaza Strip, Palestine
think can as a sign of either his victory in fights, power because of his reputation who strikes fear into the hearts of all or even his madness. Marv is a considerably unstable character, suffering from paranoia and schizophrenia. Marv is depicted in a few scenes with a woman by the name of Blondie, who is shown in vibrant colors. Her hair is yellow, with bright red lips and on a red heart shaped bed. The yellow, in this instance, could be a sign of energy. Because of her youth, she would be displayed