#8220;A lot of people, mostly black and naked, moved about like ants.” Marlow initially recognizes the natives humanity, however, he also labels them as ants in the same sentence--dehumanizing them. Again, Marlow demoralizes the African natives: “To the left a clump of trees made a shady spot, where dark things seemed to stir feebly.” This time, his inference is worse. An ant is at least a living creature, but now they are simple things, stripped of life. Diction in naming shows the European nave mentality, yet also shows the horrid reality and the praise for civilization. It is the European mindset that causes Marlow to subconsciously demoralize the natives, yet in doing so, he exposes the new reality of the Congo. Calling them “ants” shows the role of the natives in the Congo. The Africans are only workers: blasting holes, building railroad, gathering ivory. Referring to them as objects defines their insignificance in the colonist world. However, when meeting with the Chief Accountant, he labels him as an idol. “He was amazing, and had a penholder behind his ear. / I shook hands with this miracle, and I learned he was the company’s chief accountant (Pg. 227).” Marlow then meets with the station’s manager, who begins to describe Kurtz. “Mr. Kurtz was the best agent he had, an exceptional man, of the greatest importance to the company (Pg. 232)” Conrad uses “miracle,” “best,” “exceptional,” and “greatest importance,” all very strong words, all complimenting the “civilized” inhabitants of the Congo.Conrad makes both extremes clear to the reader. Some men, such as Kurtz, see the horrid reality that lies before them. His final words, “The horror! The horror! (Pg. 283),” echo his dismay of the reality he was exposed to in the Congo. Other men are still oblivious to the environment of th...
