What is the “Heart – or ‘Hearts’ - of Darkness” that Conrad describes, and what is the horror that Kurtz expressed in his dying words?...

The heart (or hearts) of darkness at the center of Joseph Conrad's influential story are up to interpretation, as is the horror (or horrors) that Kurtz references on his deathbed. Indeed, one could argue that Conrad purposefully makes the meanings behind these phrases murky in order to increase the sense of "darkness" in the tale. However, we can generally assume that the heart of darkness is both the physical "heart" or center of white imperialism...

The heart (or hearts) of darkness at the center of Joseph Conrad's influential story are up to interpretation, as is the horror (or horrors) that Kurtz references on his deathbed. Indeed, one could argue that Conrad purposefully makes the meanings behind these phrases murky in order to increase the sense of "darkness" in the tale. However, we can generally assume that the heart of darkness is both the physical "heart" or center of white imperialism in Africa and the inherent evil lurking within all human's psyches. Accordingly, the "horror" is the realization of this reality. Both images work together to critique European imperialism by illustrating how participating in colonialism encourages the unchecked growth of evil within men's hearts.

Africa is often known as the "Dark Continent," often for racist reasons, and often simply because, for much of its history, African cultures didn't make it into European dialogues. As such, it was more or less unknown to Europeans, and so we can see Kurtz' station as physically located within an unknown geographical reason, hence the "darkness." By toiling in this location, and by exploiting the natives in relative isolation, Kurtz soon learns that he can do what he likes without any repercussions, and he accordingly becomes drunk with power. The atrocities he perpetrates while managing his trading post drive him mad and ultimately lead to his death, and the "horror" he talks about before he dies refers to the dormant evil that he awakened within himself through the completion of his colonial duties. As such, the "darkness" and the "horror" is brought on by participation in colonialism, and so Conrad ultimately reveals the inherently evil premise behind imperialist ventures.