Literary Connection #1

"But his soul was mad. Being alone in the wilderness, it had looked within itself, and, by heavens! I tell you, it had gone mad." (Conrad 80)

This same quote also reminded me of the novel Lord of the Flies. In Lord of the Flies the young boys all become stranded on an island together. It is not long before the boys begin to argue. By the end of the novel the boys are in complete chaos. In both of these stories the characters become mad after they are stripped of their European lifestyle. In Heart of Darkness, the natives are not mad because they are living the lifestyle they know, however when Kurtz left Europe and immersed himself into a small village he loses something. As well as when the boys become stranded on an island, they also lose a part of who they are. 


This thought brings an interesting view of European civilization. However it is likely that the same effect would occur within most people who live in first world countries. That being said, it raises an interesting question concerning people within developed countries. Relating to the powerful theme of imperialism  throughout the novel, a question one might ask is, Can madness be caused by Imperialism?