Heart of Darkness post 2: the title

Further symbolism is found in the title of the book -- Heart of Darkness. One thing the title is symbolic of is the Congo itself. When the novel takes place, the jungle is a large, undiscovered, undeveloped and mysterious region of the world.. The jungle is full of native tribes referred to as "savages". The title could also be symbolic in describing these savages. Heart of Darkness could be referring to the primitive nature of these natives. For examples, one could look at how the tribes are violent and cannibalistic. However, the most striking and meaningful way in which Heart of Darkness is symbolic is the meaning it carries of the white, European man. The title eludes to the greed and savagery of civilized men. The best example of greed in the book is Mr. Kurtz. He starts out as an average man who enters the jungle in search of ivory. On his quest to get as much ivory as possible, he becomes a savage who takes to sticking heads on posts outside of his cottage. Heart of Darkness is symbolic of the savagery of civilized men in the way they treat Africans during colonization and how brutal business is. For example, one of the station managers thinks it is best to hang a competitor encroaching on their land and to warn of others searching for ivory. There is little different from this and a natives placing heads on stakes to ward off others. The name Heart of Darkness refers to both the savage side of the natives in the jungle and the ruthlessness of colonization. The title of the book is symbolic of many things and captures many of the key themes thoughout Heart of Darkness.