Heart of Darkness 17

As our narrator, Marlow, anticipates his departure for the Belgian Congo, he relates to his audience his conception of women as trivial and idle in their interaction with reality: "It's queer how out of touch with truth women are. They live in a world of their own [...]" (27). One may be so inclined as to concur with Marlow's dismissive statement, to discard any notion of feminine importance within Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, to focus instead …

…a thorough examination of European social values, providing him with insight into Kurtz's complex character, or illuminating elements of the jungle that captivated and captured Kurtz, feminine roles consistently bring to light the often dark "truths" within this novella. However, their effect is not limited to broadening Marlow's understanding of Kurtz, or of the world around him, but through Marlow's relation, extends to the audience a more complete understanding of the novella in its entirety.