The phrase Heart of Darkness stands for an exploration of the depths of Marlows own

mind or soul. The human mind may also be regarded as a kind of Dark Continent whose
exploration is even more difficult than the exploration of Congo. The book called Heart of
Darkness may be treated as a journey by Marlow into his own sub-conscious mind or into the
sub-conscious mind of all mankind. Marlows journey into the Congo is metaphorically a
psychological and anthropological might-journey. The book calledHeart of Darkness is
symbolically the story of an essentially solitary journey involving a profound spiritual change in
the voyager. Marlow prepares us for such a journey at the very outset. But it is, at the same
time, a psychological and mystical journey. Marlow also tells us indirectly that, by paying close
attention to the surface reality of the story and its external details, we would be able to arrive
at an inner meaning. Thus Conrad is here able to blend morality and adventure in a unique
manner, as he has done in some of his other novels as well.

There are many passages in the course of Marlows narration in which he gives us glimpses of
his own mind. At one point he tells us in explicit terms that he has always hated and detested
lies because he has always found a taint of death and a flavour of mortality in lies. In the same
context, Marlow also says that it is not possible for any man to convey to others the life-
sensation of any period of all existence. He says:
We live, as we dream alone.

At another point Marlow says that the mind of man is capable of anything because everything is
in it. In order to endure the stark realities of human life, a man should possess an inner
strength. What a man needs is a deliberate belief, at yet another point in the novel, Marlow tells
us of the effect on his own mind of the savage sight of human skulls hanging from the tops of
the posts fixed to the ground outside Mr. Kurtz's residence. Later, Marlow tells us of the effect
on his mind of Mr. Kurtzs arguments defending his action in slipping away from the ships cabin
into the jungle. Towards the end of the novel, Marlow tells us the working of his own mind when
several persons come to him, one after the other, claiming the packet or papers and the
photograph which, Mr. Kurtz had given him for safe custody; and he also reveals to us the
working of his mind when he goes the meet Mr. Kurtzs Intended. In all these cases, Marlow
tells us not about his conscious thoughts but also tries to probe his sub-conscious mind. This
subconscious mind is also the heart of darkness which Marlow or Conrad tries to explore.