An Analysis of Conrad's Heart of Darkness In the twentieth century, nihilistic themes, such as moral degeneration, man's bestial instincts at the center of the soul, and lack of cosmic purpose, have troubled numerous literary and philosophical works. Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is no exception. In his novel, Conrad uses a unique writing style to explore man's fundamental fallibility and moral confusion in an existential world through his character's journey on the Congo River. The exposition of the story sets the stage as Marlow tells his story to his fellow sailors as they wait for the tide to turn on the Thames. In his story, Marlow decides to work abroad for the Belgian company, where he believes it is an exciting unexplored territory in the heart of Africa, still black with mystery on the map. The escalating action continues to build as Marlow witnesses how cruelly the Company's employees treat the natives and how the Europeans (including himself eventually) break down mentally and physically in the African environment. Marlow is also increasingly intrigued by the prevailing reputation of the mysterious merchant Kurtz who is said to be an extraordinary and humane man. Conflicts arise in Marlow's struggle between his value as ¡°civilization¡± and the evil in man and finally reach a climax in the climax, where, after finally reaching the Inner Station, Marlow realizes that Ku... middle of paper... ....a is truly sinful and without God in the picture, he would have no reason to hope and every reason to despair at his fundamental fallibility. Unlike nihilism, however, the Christian places his loyalty in God and trusts in the enlightening and absolute truth that God is sovereign and that He is good. In conclusion, I thought this was a very thought-provoking work and a fascinating exploration of the human soul without God in it. I highly recommend the book to readers with an open mind and willing to take a second look after reading. Its story, theme, style, and worldview unify the book into an unforgettable portrait of man's heart of darkness.