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Imagery
Definition of Irony
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this seems like a loose definition... read full definition
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this... read full definition
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how... read full definition
Key Examples in Heart of Darkness
Part 1
Explanation and Analysis—Invisible Marlow:
When Marlow tells his fellow sailors about how difficult it is to fully capture the truth through storytelling, Conrad reinforces his point through dramatic irony. Marlow says:
“I do not see [Kurtz] in the name any more than you do. Do you see anything? It seems to me I am trying to tell you a dream—”
[...]
“Of course in this you fellows see more than I could then. You see me, whom you know....”
Related Themes:
Part 2
Explanation and Analysis—Contradictory Kurtz:
Kurtz’s lifestyle and condition in the novella are examples of situational irony. He is supposed to represent the glorious height of European civilization, but actually, he is a megalomaniacal brute who lives a miserable, isolated life in a hut in the jungle—which is exactly how Europeans imagine the so-called African “savages” whom men like Kurtz are supposed to “civilize” through colonialism. This irony underscores Conrad’s conclusion that there is no essential difference between “civilization” and “savagery” at all—instead, he views “civilization” as a set of cultural coping mechanisms that societies develop to hide the brutality, violence, and corruption that lie at their heart.
Related Themes:
Part 3
Explanation and Analysis—Contradictory Kurtz:
Kurtz’s lifestyle and condition in the novella are examples of situational irony. He is supposed to represent the glorious height of European civilization, but actually, he is a megalomaniacal brute who lives a miserable, isolated life in a hut in the jungle—which is exactly how Europeans imagine the so-called African “savages” whom men like Kurtz are supposed to “civilize” through colonialism. This irony underscores Conrad’s conclusion that there is no essential difference between “civilization” and “savagery” at all—instead, he views “civilization” as a set of cultural coping mechanisms that societies develop to hide the brutality, violence, and corruption that lie at their heart.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Remembering Kurtz:
After Kurtz’s pathetic, miserable death, Kurtz’s Intended (his fiancée) continues to believe that he was a great hero, and Marlow can’t work up the courage to tell her the truth. The contradiction between her beliefs and the reality about Kurtz creates dramatic irony:
Unlock with LitCharts A+“‘No!’ she cried. ‘It is impossible that all this should be lost—that such a life should be sacrificed to leave nothing—but sorrow. [...] Something must remain. His words, at least, have not died.’
“‘His words will remain,’ I said.
“‘And his example,’ she whispered to herself. ‘Men looked up to him—his goodness shone in every act. His example—’
“‘True,’ I said; ‘his example, too. Yes, his example. I forgot that.’
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