Silence and Speaking in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness

Abstract

Abstract:Much has been written on Joseph Conrad’s use of his character Marlow to narrate Heart of Darkness. These commentaries have made valuable contributions to the study of the novella, but this essay investigates what happens when Marlow does not narrate—when he is instead silent. In Marlow’s silences, in the gaps between what is said and what is unsaid, meaning can be found. In short, in the absence of narration important moments of narration can occur, the reader discovers truths that cannot be found within the narrator’s narrative itself.