Heart of Darkness

     Initially, I wasn't too impressed with Heart of Darkness, but as I kept flipping through the pages, it grew on me.  Although it still isn't my favorite book of all time, I definitely have a great appreciation for this work of literature.  Conrad's extensive use of challenging vocabulary was difficult to get accustom to at first, as well as his lengthy sentences.  I would quite often catch myself having to reread a page two or three times before I was able to decipher what Conrad's point was. 
     The first chapter was the longest to get through, especially when you consider it's just about half of the book.  It starts out with the narrator on board the Nellie on the Thames River.  This is where he meets Marlow and his story begins.   
     Throughout the book I noticed a lot of unnecessary violence and cruelty.  Conrad definitely choose a fitting title for the book.  I noticed that as Marlow's story progressed, he became more accustomed to the evil of mankind and it was starting to change him.  When Marlow was first introduced to the indecency of men at the station.  They had enslaved the natives because they were too lazy to do their own jobs.  Marlow was astonished by this and that the natives were dying everywhere around him while the white men did nothing to try and save them.  Later on in the book, after Marlow finds Kurtz, he sees the heads on sticks.  Marlow reacts to this as if it wasn't a big deal at all. 
     Conrad also uses light and dark as symbols.  On the contrary to popular usage, light doesn't resemble purity or good.  A reoccurring event in the book is the light would always bring out the darkness.  Examples of this is the white ivory, the fog, and even the white men. 
     "The horror! The horror!",  Kurtz's last words before he died.  I interpreted this as the horrors that lies within our self and there is no escape possible. 
    I definitely won't say I'm never ever going to read this book again, because someday I probably will.  It just isn't on the top of my list to reread.  The reason why I think I would read it again is because I will understand more of what's going on and be able to pick up on more symbols or foreshadowing, making it more enjoyable.