, because that man has not walked in Marlows shoes, with the same perception and mind. Although the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire (pg. 81) shine through the darkness of the jungle, Marlow can never bring himself to fully condemn the imperialist project in Africa because it would threaten his identity as a European. As he encroaches along the path of self-discovery, beating on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past (The Great Gatsby, pg. 189) the first glimpses of what man is really made up of are too much to bear. The harsh descriptions of the white mans brutality against the natives arise queasiness in any sane person. To admit that Marlow is part of this absurd form of living would characterize him a savage, something a white man could never be, since evil is symbolized through dark colors. Marlow is confronted with a series of exteriors and surfaces, such as the rivers banks and the forest walls around the station, which he must interpret in order to see its true purpose for being. The exterior of a persons face can tell the story of their past, whether they have suffered for the majority of their lives or have lived a sheltered lifestyle. A man can be considered good until he is faced with a dilemma. The true nature of himself is depicted through his choice in actions when handling the crisis. In Marlows journey along the Congo, and within himself, he discovers that the meaning of an episode [is] not inside the kernel but outside, enveloping the tale which brought it out only as a glow brings out a haze (pg. 68). Metaphorically, the symbolism, represented by the haze around the glow, is larger than its narrative vehicle, the glow, but the sensory quality of the metaphor, the haze, is essentially impressionist. Civilization acts as a buffer to prevent men from reverting back to their darker tendencies. While society seems to restrain these savage tendencies, it does n...
