The Journey in Heart of Darkness

Heart of Darkness has two simultaneous journeys. The first is the literal journey up the Congo river, into the center of Africa. The other is the figurative journey that Marlow takes into examining the evil nature of man. On his physical journey, he is delayed by the ship being sunken before he arrives. Once it is repaired, he must fight his way against the current and around treacherous sandbars. At the same time, he is having difficulties on his mental journey. He, almost unwillingly, comes to accept the evil that is present not only in the natives, but the company men he is traveling with. Once he reaches Kurtz and is able to turn around, he encounters significantly less problems navigating the river. Perhaps this is symbolic of him coming to terms with his realization, that at the root of mankind is a heart of darkness.