Heart of Darkness (eBook)

Joseph Conrad, born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski on December 3, 1857, in Berdichev, Ukraine, was a seminal Polish-British novelist proficient in the English language despite it being his third language. Conrad's prose style and narrative techniques were distinctively complex, with a predilection for exploring the darker facets of the human psyche and the ambiguities of moral conviction within the tumult of societal and individual struggle. His early life was marked by hardship; after the death of his parents, Conrad faced a peripatetic existence before embarking on a seafaring career that profoundly influenced his literary work (Knowles & Moore, 2000). Notably, 'Heart of Darkness' (1899), one of Conrad's most celebrated novellas, offers a profound critique of imperialism, wrapped in a harrowing journey into the African Congo and the human condition, and provides insights into the perniciousness of colonization and the psychological isolation it engenders. The novella has become an essential text in literature, influencing many subsequent writers and being the subject of extensive scholarly analysis due to its narrative sophistication and thematic depth (Watts, 1996). Conrad's other renowned works such as 'Lord Jim' (1900) and 'Nostromo' (1904) further attest to his narrative prowess and his deep-seated skepticism towards Progress and civilization's veneer. Conrad's legacy resides not only in his literary achievements but also in his ability to articulate the complexities of human nature and existential despair, leaving an indelible mark on the modernist literary movement.