Nihilism in the Heart of Darkness In the novel Heart of Darkness (1899) by Joseph Conrad, Conrad explores existential nihilism, which defines the belief that the world is meaningless nor purpose. Through Marlow, Conrad presents a story for civilization, for those aboard the Nellie who are unaware of their own insignificance. The journey through the African Congo depicts the absurdity of man's existence and human ideals disintegrate in the vastness of the Jungle atmosphere. The sinister Jungle is the setting that Conrad uses to develop the reader's awareness of the falsity of man in contrast to a dark world. Any sense of restraint against the darkness that habituates itself in the natural world of man's uncivilized makeup is futile. Those who exercise restraint only emphasize existential nihilism, because their actions result in a lack of meaning. Through Kurtz's characterization, the reader can witness a man who lacks restraint due to his recognition of uselessness, thus becoming a nihilistic hero. Marlow's search for such a man is the ultimate goal of the novel. Conrad's goal then is to lead the reader through vagueness and pessimism toward a conclusive void. The conclusion of the novel ultimately depicts existential nihilism, where Kurtz's last words confirm the absurdity of the world and where Marlow more closely resembles the pessimistic Kurtz through the lie told to Kurtz's Destiny. Although Conrad himself is not fundamentally nihilistic, his novel contains a dark nihilistic truth: the world is without meaning or purpose. The jungle setting through which Marlow travels is as disturbing as the events of the novel. Marlow's exploration of empty space (22) turns out to be a place of incomprehensible darkness containing...... middle of paper ......Works cited and consulted Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. 1899. Ed., DCRA Goonetilleke. Peterborough: Broadview Press, 1996. Crosby, Donald A. The Specter of the Absurd: Sources and Critiques of Modern Nihilism. New York: State University of New York Press, 1988. Elliott, J., ed. Oxford Pocket Dictionary and Thesaurus. 6th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997. Gillion, Adam. The Eternal Solitary. New York: Bookman Associates Inc., 1960., p164Miller, J. Poets of Reality. Cambridge, Mass.: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1965. Nietzsche, Friedrich. “Beyond Good and Evil.” In moral philosophy. 2nd ed. Ed. Louis Pojman. Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Company, 1998. 123.Saveson, John E. Joseph Conrad: The Making of a Moralist. Amsterdam, 1972.