A Gothic novel is one that “is
characterized by an atmosphere of mystery and horror”(Dictionary.com). Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad can
be classified as a Gothic novel because of its sense of mystery, eerie setting
and ghostly attributes. A Gothic novel is one that portrays the feeling and
atmosphere of dread and horror, which are prominent throughout the novel.
Marlow travels to a barbaric country knowing very little of its inhabitants
aside from their inferiority and animalistic characteristics. As he travels
through the Congo River, he is constantly surrounded by fog and strange noises
adding to the uneasy mood that Conrad portrays. The reader is forced to hold
their breath with Marlow as he ventures into the unknown. This tense mood is
very gothic for it is pessimistic in the novel as Marlow travels deeper into
the darkness; he sees more and more horror.
Aside
from the mood of the novel feeling very negative, the setting itself is dreary
and unpleasant, another major theme of a Gothic novel. Aside from the fog
surrounding the river implying the lack of sunshine and extreme gloominess, the
things Marlow sees are gruesome. At one point he noticed a fence lined with
human heads as the stakes, “They would
have been even more impressive, those heads on the stakes, if their faces had
not been turned to the house. Only one, the first I had made out, was facing my
way. I was not so shocked as you may think” (Conrad 112). The inferred violence
and maltreatment of the people whose heads had been used as a fence forces a
repugnant picture into the reader’s head for they have to envision real human
heads. The horror and darkness of the setting fall easily into the category of
a Gothic novel.
There are no real ghosts during the novel,
although supernatural elements are present throughout. As Kurtz lies dying his
last words are very Gothic, “stare with that
wide and immense stare embracing, condemning, loathing all the universe. I
seemed to hear the whispered cry, 'The horror! The horror!'" (Conrad 152).
The fact that Marlow is unsure of whether or not he hears Kurtz adds yet
another level of mystery to the novel along with the wonder as to exactly what
‘horror’ Kurtz is exclaiming about as his final words. Overall, the mystery in
the mood, setting and actions of the novel along with the universal darkness
classify Heart of Darkness as a
Gothic novel.
Works Cited
Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness.NY,NY: W.W. Norton and
Company, Inc., 1988.
Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House,
Inc. 08 Mar. 2015.
Great work Nina! I completely agree on your point on the atmosphere of the novel creating a Gothic novel. Using the human heads on the fences as an element is a great point and I did not think of that! The decapitated heads definitely fall under an "atmosphere of horror." Also, the fog that comes with Marlow's traveling through the Congo creates an aura of mystery which definitely also is a characteristic of a Gothic novel. I completely agree! You have some great points, good job Nina!
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