Use of Symbolism in Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad played an important role in the development of the twentieth-century novel. Many devices that Conrad first applied to his novels found wide use in the literary period he helped create. Perhaps the most effective of his pioneering techniques was the application of symbolism in his novels. In Heart of Darkness, Conrad's symbolism plays a dominant role in the development of the novel's themes. These themes are revealed not through the plot, but rather through the characters and symbolic elements present in the narrative. Joseph Conrad's use of symbolism in his portrayal of Africans, the Company, and Kurtz in Heart of Darkness illustrates the value of work and self-control. The format of Heart of Darkness is a narrative of ship captain Charlie Marlow's experiences in the Congo Free State, as told to companions on a ship moored at the mouth of the Thames, south-east of London. Since the vast majority of the text is the story told by Marlow, the reader is intimately familiar with Marlow's opinions and judgments throughout his first-person account. Therefore the relationships between Marlow and the other characters in the novel are of greater importance than the characters themselves. The actions that Marlow takes note of are used primarily to serve a symbolic purpose rather than to advance the plot. The flow of the novel itself is at times sloppy and illogical, as Marlow's chain of thought is not entirely chronological. This is a stylistic technique that other 20th century authors, particularly James Joyce and William Faulkner, will make greater use of in their literature (Jericho 23). The first of but...... middle of paper ... ...the fiction is not as important as the effects of that action, a world that would be exploited for years to come. Works Cited: Conrad, Joseph Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer, 1902. Signet Classic, New York 1997. Jericho, Jeremy, Tessa Krailing Joseph Conrad Barron's Heart of Darkness 1985. Works Consulted: Adelman, Gary. Heart of Darkness: In Search of the Unconscious. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1987. Fothergill, Anthony. Open guides to literature: Heart of Darkness. Philadelphia: Open University Press, 1989. Glassman, Peter J. Language and Being: Joseph Conrad and the Literature of Personality. New York and London: Columbia: University Press, 1976. Tindall, W.Y. “Marlow's Duty.” In Heart of Darkness and Conrad's Criticism. Ed. Bruce Harness. Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing Company Inc., 1968.