Darkness Redux

Second time up river: I recognize some landmarks, notice sites I’d missed before, but the jungle remains as dense and tangled as my first journey.

On the surface the story is about European exploitation of Africa, the evils of Western materialism, capitalism, and the triviality of those who choose to prosper in that environment. Ironically, they seek prosperity in a setting so hostile that just surviving ensures success. On the surface, the story is about Kurtz, who unlike his colleagues is idealistic and works to bring culture and prosperity to Africa. “Each station should be like a beacon on the road to better things, a centre for trade of course, but also for humanizing, improving, instructing,” he says.

Beneath the surface, in the murky waters of the rivers, whose heart is dark?