Psychological significance of journey

Marlow’s description of his journey into the heart of darkness sets up such a mysterious, odd, and eerie atmosphere. The reader is taken so far into a world that is nothing like the average civilized world, such as in England. Instead, Marlow is forced to observe the death of the helpless natives, while simultaneously communicating with the dainty agents and managers who perform various duties there. Marlow is continuously pondering the events that are happening and their significance. He is forced into evaluating his own moral standards as well those of others he encounters. He must pinpoint the differences in character as well as moral beliefs in order to come to some kind of an explanation to the unimaginable events occurring. He starts to wonder how people like the Chief Accountant, who resembles the features of a well-off businessman, could ever get work done in the horrific environment that is just right outside of his doors. The Accountant’s tolerance makes Marlow wonder whether or not he is even aware of the detrimental torture being done to the natives in an attempt to “civilize” them. Marlow starts to recognize that the “colonizing” being done to the “criminals” is actually just an infliction of pain and abuse onto the natives. Marlow is in a state of confusion, because not only is he amazed at the calmness of the agents but he also has to monitor himself to see if he will go as far as to believe in the so-called “beneficial” work being done on the continent. As Marlow travels further and further into the continent he is traveling further and further into his own mind and the mind of the continent’s inhabitants. Marlow brings his morals from the outside, within and he assesses each situation and event that comes his way. For example the restraint of the natives on Marlow’s boat to not eat the white agents comes into the picture; Marlow starts to wonder more about their mind and how it works. He is curious to find out why they haven’t fulfilled their hunger, when the opportunity to do so is right in front of them.