Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness' and Modernism

The assignment delves into Conrad's modernistic art work, particularly in his novella 'Heart of Darkness'. The author's use of an unreliable narrator, non-linear narration, and stream of consciousness technique are discussed. These literary devices were a reaction to realism and paved the way for future modernist writers.

Running head: CONRAD AND MODERNISM
Conrad and Modernism
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

1CONRAD AND MODERNISM
“Who knows what true loneliness is - not the conventional word but the naked terror? To the
lonely themselves it wears a mask. The most miserable outcast hugs some memory or some
illusion.”
The above quoted lines of Joseph Conrad clearly outline the underlying theme of most
of his popular literary works. Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski or more commonly Joseph
Conrad (1857-1924) is often considered to be one of the earliest preachers of the literary style
of Modernism (Luebke, 2014). The author Conrad was born in the nation of Poland however
later he became a citizen of the nation of England. It is interesting to note that the major part
of his life was spent in the sea as he used to work on the various ships. Therefore, the various
seas as well as the sea voyages form an important part of the majority of his literary works.
The literary style of Modernism was a reaction to the Victorian style of writing which was
much criticized in the works of literary personnels like Matthew Arnold and others. In the
opinion of Peter Childs (2016), “[Modernism] is associated with attempts to render human
subjectivity in ways more real than realism: to represent consciousness, perception, emotion,
meaning and the individual’s relation to society through interior monologue, stream of
consciousness, […]defamiliarisation, [and] irresolution”. Most of the literary works of
Conrad falls under this particular genre outlined by the critic Peter Childs. Jackson Pollock
gives a pertinent account of the work of the most modernist artists when he says “The modern
artist is working with space and time and expressing his feelings rather than illustrating”.
The novel “Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad, published in the year 1899, is often
considered to be a typical demonstration of his art of modernism. The novel since its
publication has received much critical accolades from the various critics and at the same time
has received much criticism as well because of the unorthodox style of the narration. The
novel seeks to highlight the journey of its narrator Marlow in the land of Africa. In the
novella, the narrator goes to Africa in search of the procurement agent Kurtz and is shocked

2CONRAD AND MODERNISM
to see the things which the European traders have done to the natives of Africa (Lawtoo,
2012). Thus, the novella is often interpreted in terms of the connotations of post-colonialism
as well (Lawtoo, 2012). The style of narration which the author Conrad used in this particular
novella was too revolutionary for its times and thus talking about the style of the novel G.K.
Chesterton in his book “Heretics” says “In the glad old days, before the rise of modern
morbidities...it used to be thought a disadvantage to be misunderstood”. However, in the
present day context the novella is often considered to be one of the pioneers of the literary
genre of modernism.
In the course of the novella Marlow who goes in the land of Africa in search of the
procurement agent Kurtz says “It seems to me I am trying to tell you a dream—making a vain
attempt, because no relation of a dream can convey the dream-sensation, that commingling of
absurdity….We live, as we dream—alone.…” (Conrad,2016). This statement forms one of
the central fulcrum around which the entire novella revolves and gives a pertinent account of
the journey undertaken by Marlow in the land of Africa and the importance of the search
undertaken by them. It is to be noted that modernism is often considered to a drastic break
from the various precepts of realism which form the central fulcrum of the narrative style of
the Victorian Age.
In this particular novella “Heart of Darkness” Conrad seems to break away from that
fulcrum of narration and creates his own style of narration with the help of the unreliable
narrator Marlow. It is to be noted that in this particular quotation and as a matter of fact in the
major part of the novella the narrator seems to be hovering between the two realms of reality
and fantasy as when he says “We live in the flicker -- may it last as long as the old earth
keeps rolling! But darkness was here yesterday” (Conrad, 2016). In another section of the
novella the narrator says “Droll thing life is -- that mysterious arrangement of merciless logic
for a futile purpose. The most you can hope from it is some knowledge of yourself -- that

3CONRAD AND MODERNISM
comes too late -- a crop of inextinguishable regrets” (Conrad, 2016). Furthermore, a common
tendency of the modernist literary artists was to explore the mysteries of the soul and try to
give logic to them. It is to be noted that at this particular time the “The Interpretation of
Dreams” by Sigmund Freud was published and psychology was making much progress in
trying to understand the unconscious of the individuals. The remark of Marlow where he says
“ He struggled with himself, too. I saw it -- I heard it. I saw the inconceivable mystery of a
soul that knew no restraint, no faith, and no fear, yet struggling blindly with itself” becomes
very significant in this particular context (Conrad, 2016). Another important unconventional
device used by the author for the narrative purpose was the use of flash backs as well as
memory for the purpose of narration. This becomes apparent in the statement of Marlow
when he says that “It was written I should be loyal to the nightmare of my choice” (Conrad,
2016). In addition to this, another important precept of the literary device of modernism was
the portrayal of the grim conditions of man admist the present day hostile conditions. Thus,
the narrator of the novella comments that “But his soul was mad. Being alone in the
wilderness, it had looked within itself and, by heavens I tell you, it had gone mad” (Conrad,
2016). In the opinion of Peter Childs (2016), the major difference between the modernist and
the postmodernist artist lies in their representation of chaos. The modernist artists try to
resolve the chaos and come out of it whereas the postmodernist artist enjoys the chaos. Thus,
it would not be too far-fetched to say that the novella “Heart of Darkness” of Conrad hovers
between the line of modernism and postmodernism. It is a reflection of this that the narrator
of the novella Marlow says that “It echoed loudly within him because he was hollow at the
core” and “Watching a coast as it slips by the ship is like thinking about an enigma. There it
is before you, smiling, frowning, inviting, grand, mean, insipid, or savage, and always mute
with an air of whispering, "Come and find out"” (Conrad, 2016).

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Conrad gave a pertinent account of his modernistic art work in his letter to Blackwood
“I am modern, and I would rather recall Wagner the musician and Rodin the Sculptor who
both had to starve a little in their day—and Whistler the painter who made Ruskin the critic
foam at the mouth with scorn and indignation. They too have arrived. They had to suffer for
being new”. It is to be noted that if the novella “Heart of Darkness” is taken into
consideration this particular remark of Conrad becomes very pertinent. In this particular
novella for the purpose of narration Conrad takes the help of an unreliable narrator who even
further increases the mystery surrounding the story. In addition to that the narrator uses a
non-linear form of narration in which the incidents are not narrated in a sequential manner.
Moreover, the author further his style of narration tries to portray the grim condition of the
atrocities committed by the European trades and the harmful effects of the excursions of the
European trade in the continent of Africa. Joseph Conrad in his literary work “An Outcast of
the Islands” says “It's only those who do nothing that make no mistakes, I suppose”.
Therefore, this particular novella of the author can be seen as the attempt of the author to
venture into the unchartered territories of modernism and post-colonialism. In addition to that
the novella also makes uses of the technique of stream of consciousness, a concept which
would be popularized later in the literary works of Proust, D.H. Lawrence, Virginia Woolf
and others. The author makes use of this particular tool to give a modern aura to this
particular novella and make the narrative more appealing to the readers.
Therefore, from the above discussion it becomes clear that Conrad was one of the
most important pioneers of the modern literary art of modernism. It is to be noted that the
literary style of modernism was a reaction to the realism which was very much in vogue
during the Victorian Age. However, the novella “Heart of Darkness” of Conrad received
much criticism due to its unorthodox narrative which is now considered to be a landmark in
the history of modernistic literature. The narrative style used by the author in this particular

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novella became a standard for the later writers of the modernist genre like D.H. Lawrence,
Virginia Woolf and others.

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References
Childs, P. (2016). Modernism. Taylor & Francis.
Conrad, J. (2016). Heart of Darkness (Fourth International Student Edition)(Norton Critical
Editions). WW Norton & Company.

7CONRAD AND MODERNISM
Lawtoo, N. (Ed.). (2012). Conrad's' Heart of Darkness' and Contemporary Thought:
Revisiting the Horror with Lacoue-Labarthe. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Luebke, S. (2014). Heart of Darkness. Joseph Conrad Today, 39(2), 16.