Heart of Darkness

**Heart of Darkness**, written by Joseph Conrad, is a novella that explores the journey of a sailor named Marlow, who is sent to the African Congo to retrieve a company agent named Kurtz. As Marlow travels deeper into the jungle, he encounters the brutal effects of European imperialism and the exploitation of African people. The journey becomes a metaphor for the descent into darkness, not just of the physical jungle, but of the human soul. Kurtz, once an idealistic figure, is revealed to have been consumed by greed and power, leading to his moral and psychological collapse. The novella raises profound questions about civilization, savagery, and the fragility of the human psyche.