Joseph Conrad's Portrayal of Marlow in Heart of Darkness

In the first 15 pages of Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad portrays Charles Marlow in a very revealing manner. One characteristic attributed to Marlow by Conrad is his pensiveness, his contemplativeness. When Marlow says, "And this also has been one of the dark places of the earth," (5) he demonstrates that he has been pondering the significance of the current location of the "Nellie." Marlow then continues, "I was thinking of very old times, when the Romans first came here, nineteen hundred years ago-the other day" (6). With this comment, Marlow continues to demonstrate that his mind wanders. The narrator of Heart of Darkness implies that this is not an uncommon occurrence for Marlow. He says, "His remark did not seem at all surprising. It was just like Marlow. It was accepted in silence" (6). Marlow's meditative personality makes him a particularly interesting character.

Conrad also shows that Marlow is quite unusual. As the narrator says, "He was the only man of us who still followed the sea," (5) implying that Marlow is different from the rest of his shipmates. Conrad also indicates that Marlow is different from the average seaman. The narrator claims, "The yarns of seamen have a direct simplicity, the whole meaning of which lies within the shell of a cracked nut. But Marlow was not typical" (6). Marlow also has a zeal for doing what other people have never done; he has a passion for exploring the unknown. This is demonstrated through Marlow's love of maps. As a young boy, Marlow studied maps as though they were texts containing the meaning of life. He says, "At that time, there were many blank spaces on the earth, and when I saw one that looked particularly inviting on the map ... I would put my finger on it and say, 'When I grow up, I will go there'" (9). Conrad's portrayal of Marlow using quotations throughout Heart of Darkness allows the reader to easily comprehend Marlow's character; it helps the reader understand Marlow more clearly by allowing the reader to "become" Marlow.