A Freudian Perspective of Marlow in Conrads Heart of...

A Freudian Perspective of Marlow in Heart of Darkness On the surface, Heart of Darkness is the exploration of the African Congo where the explorers are trying to conquer the natives and make a profit in the ivory business. However, there is much more to the short novel written by Joseph Conrad than just the surface. It is also the exploration of the unconscious where the goal is to conquer the unknown. At the same time when Heart of Darkness was surfacing in the 20th century society, a psychologist named Sigmund Freud was publishing his research findings. Freud’s research of the unconscious and Conrad’s journey into darkness is remarkably similar. John Tessitore, a modern critic, says of the similarity, ...it is enough simply†¦show more content†¦The area consists of all the internalized norms, values, and feelings that are taught in the socialization process. The superego brings the social pressures of reality to push upon the id. The superego exhibits society’s restraint on the id. When the id is saying, I want that, the superego is saying, Wait, slow down, think about this for a little bit. Is this right? The superego acts as the mind’s conscience and responds to the social rules. The third and final element in the Freudian mind is the ego. The ego is our conception of ourself in relation to others. This is in contrast with the self-centered id. If one has a strong ego that person feels confident in dealing with others and can accept criticism. To have a weak ego is to need continual approval from others. The ego is very similar to the self-esteem concept. This is the part of the mind that develops from an awareness of social standards and is modified by contact with the social world. The ego is like the mature adult. When the id is saying, I want that and the superego is questioning what is right and wrong, the ego enters the equation and decides what to do. A mature ego will deny immediate pleasure in order to avoid any consequences. What do these three aspects of the mind have to do with Heart of Darkness? More than one may believe. As mentioned before, the journey is not only into the heart of Africa but a journey into the psycheShow MoreRelated Achebe’s Inability to Understand Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Essay3028 Words   |  13 PagesAchebe’s Inability to Understand Conrad’s Heart of Darkness A fierce Achebe radically condemns Conrad as a thoroughgoing racist in his article, arguing that Heart of Darkness is not a piece of great literature, but an offensive and deplorable book (Achebe 1791). He structures his argument around a few central ideas, such as the grotesque perception of the Africans by the protagonist, the antinomy between the Thames and Congo River, the lack of historical fact, and the parallel between the