Fernandez 1

Mark Fernandez

Eng 242 – British Literature II

Dr. Marohl

2 December 2008

The Segmentation of Language in Heart of Darkness

Language in the broadest sense is communication between species, with varying degrees

of complexity. The purpose of all human languages is to communicate – to transfer a message

from one person to another. The message content consists of facts and meaning; being the logical

and emotional elements, respectively. Messages may consist solely of facts -- “It is five o'clock.”

-- or purely meaning, such as “I love you.” However, most messages require both elements, yet

developed countries' elevation of fact over meaning has hamstringed language's efficacy.

Throughout Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad focuses on this divorce of fact and meaning,

providing an interwoven critique of the segmentation of language using frame narrative, analysis

of written word, and juxtaposition of modern language with the raw language from untouched

Africa.

Marlow begins and ends his tale in a lotus position, evoking the concept of mind over

matter. But how accurately does this describe Marlow? At many points Marlow loses his

composure due to his inability to convey meaning. In the beginning, the “outside” narrator

equates a story’s meaning with a “haze”, or fog (1893). In his analogy, the meaning is “brought

out” with a “glow” of light. But shine too much light, and the fog envelopes the path (i.e. facts of

the story). This is what happens when Marlow concentrates solely on the point he wishes to

convey; the meaning is lost in a sea of emotions with no facts to anchor them, producing anger

and frustration that destroy his Buddha emulation.

Conrad’s use of a frame narrative serves multiple functions. First, in adding another layer

to the story, Conrad purposely obscures and encodes the intended meaning from the reader. A

story meant to incite public outcry cannot afford to have its meaning obscured implying that

language inadequacy is a more prominent theme than exploitative imperialism. Upton Sinclair’s

The Jungle, published only four years later, may not have proved as effective if wrapped inside a

frame narrative.

The enigmatic and paradoxical use of narration to explore the problems of narration

constitutes a récit. Marlow is effectively trying to narrate something impossible to narrate.,

confessing “it is impossible to convey the life sensation of any given epoch of one's existence”

(1909). The pervasive inconclusiveness in Heart of Darkness “challenge[s] the very possibility

of narrative” (Dhareshwar 75).

While potentially clouding the writer’s meaning, the frame narrative allows the reader to

mentally insert himself among Marlow’s attentive crew. Marlow's utter frustration concerning

his inability to convey the meaning of his tale is personally experienced by the reader, because

Marlow is talking to the reader outside of the story. The same phrases conveyed through an

ethereal narrator would lack the emotional content. The reader empathizes with a human narrator

who has emotions, while an ethereal narrator conventionally can convey options but not utter

doubt.

The frame narrative underscores the irony that African natives have little difficulty orally

telling a story. Civilization’s mass production of the written word has atrophied its citizen’s

ability to tell a simple story. Interestingly, the fact that Marlow lived this tale actually frustrates

rather than buttresses his ability. Bruffee points out Marlow’s “disillusionment with words”

grows as he gets closer to Kurtz, all the while “becom[ing] less and less enamored of words as
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the verbose Kurtz talks” (Bruffee 327). As a seaman, Marlow may feel inadequate to perform a

job that is outside his profession. The industry of storytelling discourages laymen from

attempting this refined skill.

Heart of Darkness does have an “outside” narrator (not Marlow) who is a crewman

aboard the Nellie. While nothing is known about this narrator crewman, the other three Nellie

passengers represent civilization’s upper-middle class. The Accountant and the Lawyer are

fitting recipients of a tale of unethical corporate greed, while the Director, looking “so nautical”

(1891) embodies industrialization’s excessive segmentation, for his position keeps him ashore.

Unlike Heart of Darkness, The Return – an earlier work of Conrad's – uses a

conventional, omniscient narrator that clearly indicates the internal tensions the protagonist feels.

Conrad was criticized for this excessive narratorial spoon-feeding, and the novel lacked public

appeal. But like Marlow, The Return's protagonist struggles with a dichotomy of language. Upon

learning his wife has left him, he exclaims, “She’s gone!... It was terrible – not the fact, but the

words; the words charged with the shadowy might of a meaning” (Kramer 8) (emphasis added).

Skilleas refers to Conrad’s theme of restraint as the “saving grace of… work” that

anchors one to reality (Skilleas 53). Specifically, it is industrialized work, or work that does not

directly provide food, clothing, or shelter, that vaccinates Marlow from insanity. “[I]ndeed,” says

Marlow, “to be busy with material affairs is the best preservative agent against reflection, fears,

[and] doubts” (McIntyre 193). Industrialized work depends upon facts; little emotional meaning

is needed to monitor a boiler. Kurtz, alone and engaged in less monotonous work, becomes

susceptible. While benign, the native’s culture mixed with paternalistic ideals produces

megalomania within Kurtz.

The restraint of industrialized work goes both ways. Both the chief accountant’s

laundress and Marlow’s fireman (boiler operator) were “improved specimen” after learning a

skill (1916). While this implies that civilization protects humanity from savage insanity, Marlow

goes out of his way to normalize the natives and their culture. “Prehistoric man[‘s]” rituals may

be “ugly” (1916), but he likens them to “the sound of bells in a Christian country” (1904).

Within Heart of Darkness are two written works: Towson’s An Inquiry into Some Points

of Seamanship and Kurtz’ pamphlet to the International Society for the Suppression of Savage

Customs. Both are instructional in nature. As Towson’s book teaches a technical skill, it need

solely focus on facts to accurately convey its message. Kurtz's pamphlet is an analysis of how to

better the natives. This pamphlet provides the most severe example of language segmentation.

An accurate assessment must contain both facts and meaning, yet al the meaning has been

stripped from the message. Only facts remain, obscuring and encoding the recommendation to be

more palatable, prefiguring Adolf Hitler’s “Final Solution.” Marlow comments that “what saves

us is efficiency – the devotion to efficiency” (1894). But efficiency is mocked by the pamphlet’s

content – seventeen pages are summarized by the postscript’s four words that convey the

pamphlet's true meaning: “Exterminate all the brutes!” (1927).

Marlow amusingly juxtaposes the European's English with the native crew mates'

language when their steamboat is attacked by Kurtz's natives. The scene begins with the war-cry.

(While Marlow later describes the cry as “protective” (1921), war-cry remains a valid label.)

Besides ethically announces the natives’ presence (something eschewed in modern warfare as

inanely chivalrous) its piercing tone conveys – in a few syllables – the fact that the Europeans

are trespassing and are to turn back. The underlying meaning – “I am dangerous” – is also
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conveyed. In this capacity the war-cry mimics nature, as a cobra’s hissing and rattling convey the

most lucid message “Back away or else!”

War-cries exist in other cultures. Many Native American tribes used war-cries, and all

hand-to-hand combats (i.e. pre-WWI) employed them to different extents. High schools and

colleges have extended the practice to the observers, where fans shout chants to spur on their

team. The war-cry appears universal.

The war-cry has the intended effect on the Europeans, instilling fear and confusion. Their

native crew mates, however, display “an alert, naturally interested expression” (1918). The

superior firepower of the Europeans should have alleviated much of their concern; it initially did

not, perhaps because none of the Europeans were soldiers. Division of labor, or maybe

diplomacy, stripped them of this warrior faculty that is just another facet of the natives’ lives.

After the initial shock of the war cry, the Europeans are “greatly discomposed”. In

contrast the natives “exchange short, grunting phrases, which seemed to settle the matter to their

satisfaction” (1919). The breadth of meaningful content exchanged in a couple of grunts is

astounding. Industrialization champions the virtue of efficiency, yet the inevitable segmentation

under the banner of specialization tends to impede efficiency. For example, current military

personnel must be taught code and gestures – a new language – to communicate effectively

during battle. While a nation may speak one dominate language, industry jargon and

socioeconomic dialects serve to limit the transmission of meaning. Communication is now a

college major, creating uncertainty as to who is actually qualified to conduct such a task.

Shortly afterward, the manager asks Marlow if he thinks the natives will attack. Marlow

responds with a long lecture, stupefying his fellow Europeans. This soliloquy is probably ten to

twenty times longer than his fellow natives’ assessment. Many valid reasons, such as
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unfamiliarity with Africa and a sense of diplomacy, exist for Marlow’s loquaciousness. But the

contrast does suggest a superfluousness in modern language that impedes its primary goal.

Marlow employs body language once, when he turns his shoulder towards the manager

after he comments, “You are the captain” (1921). The natives, however, use body language,

including hand gestures, more often. This utilization of the entire body gives the user more tools

to effectively communicate. Kurtz’s Russian disciple (the “harlequin”) throws up his arms while

extolling the virtues of his guru (1931). Before this particular gesture, the Russian had many

times undulated his arms while speaking. But this occurrence drew the stare of one of the natives

onboard the steamboat. The Russian's action foreshadows the latter incident where the native

woman raises her arms as a final plea for Kurtz to stay or perhaps an abject concession of loss

(1940).

Heart of Darkness is a journey towards a conversation, as Marlow is “looking forward to

– a talk with Kurtz” (1924). Personally, Marlow’s frustrations in storytelling may be semi-

autobiographic, as Conrad’s mastery of written English (his third language) was spoken with a

heavy French accent and many mispronunciations, proving severe enough to turn down lecturing

positions (Pousada 345). Conrad also noted that writing in English “required a formidable effort

on [his] part” (Pousada 346). Despite this, Heart of Darkness displays Conrad's adept

understanding of the nuances of language. Conrad withholds just enough information to force the

reader to think while not inducing frustration. Marlow will never know what exactly “the horror”

is; therefore, neither will the reader. Yet Marlow's struggle with his own narration conveys the

importance of incorporating both fact and meaning in order to accurately and fully communicate.

Conrad's career showcases that language is worth the struggle. For all his efforts Marlow
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discovers a gilded chalice – Kurtz’s eloquent yet substantially void speech. But Conrad hopes the

reader spies the Holy Grail of effective language hiding among the bushes.
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Works Cited

Bruffee, Kenneth A. "The Lesser Nightmare: Marlow’s Lie in Heart of Darkness." Modern

Language Quarterly 25.3 (1964): 322-329. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Wake

Technical Community College, Raleigh, NC. 13 Nov. 2008 <http://nclive.org>.

Dhareshwar, Vivek. "The Song of the Sirens in The Heart of Darkness: The Enigma of Récit."

Boundary 2 15.1/2 (1986): 69-84. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Wake Technical

Community College, Raleigh, NC. 13 Nov. 2008 <http://nclive.org>.

Kramer, Dale. "Conrad’s Experiments with Language and Narrative in ‘The Return’." Studies in

Short Fiction 25.1 (1988): 1-11. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Wake Technical

Community College, Raleigh, NC. 13 Nov. 2008 <http://nclive.org>.

McIntyre, Allan O. "Conrad on the Functions of the Mind." Modern Language Quarterly 25.2

(1964): 187-197. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Wake Technical Community

College, Raleigh, NC. 13 Nov. 2008 <http://nclive.org>.

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Literature." English Studies 75.4 (1994): 335-349. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO.

Wake Technical Community College, Raleigh, NC. 13 Nov. 2008 <http://nclive.org>.

Skilleas, Ole Martin. "Restraint in the darkness." English Studies 76.1 (1995): 52-63. Academic

Search Premier. EBSCO. Wake Technical Community College, Raleigh, NC. 13 Nov.

2008 <http://nclive.org>.