heart of darkness

As our narrator, Charlie Marlow, stoically 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 …

…his journey to a reconsideration of European social norms, providing him with insight into Kurtz's complex character, or elucidating elements of the jungle which captivated Kurtz, feminine roles consistently bring to light the often shady "truths" within this novel. 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 comprehension of the novel in its entirety.