This document analyzes Joseph Conrad's novel Heart of Darkness by comparing quotes from the novel to images from other contexts to provide new interpretations. The quote "the silent wilderness surrounding this cleared speck on the earth" is compared to a scene from the movie Twilight depicting Edward and Bella in the forest. A quote about looking down at someone at the bottom of a precipice is used to interpret a picture of Saddam Hussein captured underground. A quote referring to being "numbered with the dead" and an "invasion by mean and greedy phantoms" is used to give new meaning to a picture depicting a person jumping from the World Trade Center on 9/11. The document argues that analyzing quotes from Conrad

1. Katie Greenlee
ENG 230-007
17 November 2011
The Heart of Darkness is a novel that exposes the evil in a „hidden‟ world. In the case of
Conrad‟s writing, he is revealing the atrocities of South Africa during the time of exploration.
There are many passages within the book that give the reader images of darkness. These images
and feelings that come to the reader can be seen in a new light when given an alternate meaning.
In Conrad‟s Heart of Darkness he says, “And outside, the silent wilderness surrounding
this cleared speck on the earth struck me as something great and invincible, like evil or truth,
waiting patiently for the passing away of this fantastic invasion.” (p.38 emphasis mine). This
quote from the book can be compared to the movie Twilight. In the movie the couple Bella and
Edward have a special spot in the forest where there is a clearing. Bella is a normal girl and
Edward is a vampire. In the movie, vampires have the characteristics of being incredibly strong,
fast, and dangerous. Most vampires are evil and will feed on humans, but Edward‟s family is
different and do not harm people. This quote fits the scene in Twilight where they are outside
“the silent wilderness surrounding this cleared speck on the earth,” as you can see in the picture.
(p.38). When meeting Edward and discovering a whole new life of supernatural beings, Bella is
exposed to “evil” but also the “truth.” The vampires are considered evil, even though Edward‟s
family is different, but by learning of their existence Bella is no longer living in a world of lies.
She is exposed to the truth. The characteristics of a vampire make Edward “great and
invincible.” No human being can stop him, therefore making him invincible. In the book Bella is
constantly worried that her beloved vampire is going to leave her. The lifestyle and idea of

2. vampires does not scare her but instead becomes her obsession. Bella is “waiting patiently for the
passing away of this fantastic invasion.” (p.38).
Saddam Hussein was found hiding underground in a small “room.” The quote from the
Heart of Darkness says, ““I looked at him as you peer down at a man who is lying at the bottom
of a precipice where the sun never shines.” (p.86). The picture and quote are pretty self-
explanatory. Whoever took the picture took it at an angle where they are looking down at
Saddam Hussein who was forced to the ground. It is likely that Hussein rarely if ever came out
of his hiding spot and the “sun never shines” when you are underground.
“I was, so to speak, numbered with the dead. It is strange how I accepted this unforeseen
partnership, this choice of nightmares forced upon me in the tenebrous land invaded by these
mean and greedy phantoms.” (p.85 emphasis mine). The attack on the World Trade Centers can
be described, from the viewpoint of the victim jumping to his death, in the picture through this
quote. There were so many lives taken on September 11th that they are remembered as the
amount of people that died and not by each victims‟ name. The victim in the picture was
“numbered with the dead.” There was an invasion by the high-jackers and the land became dark
and gloomy. It isn‟t enough to just say that the high-jackers were “mean.” The invaders were
also “greedy” with the amount of lives they took and the amount of despair they inflicted on
loved ones of victims and to the country. (p.85). The man in the picture had to choose between
nightmares. He could either stay in the building and wait for his death or he could jump from the
world trade center and take his own life. It is easy to see that both choices bring death and that
the nightmare was “forced upon” him. (p.85). We don‟t know what the victims were thinking
before their death but there could have been a strange acceptance of “this unforeseen

3. partnership.” (p.85). The partnership between victims and the partnership between victims and
death was definitely an unforeseen one.
The quotes from Conrad‟s novel Heart of Darkness paired up with pictures that are out of
its original context provide new insight into the quotes and the pictures themselves. Although
Conrad‟s novel was fictional, he described real darkness that is still present today. At first the
quotes may not make sense but when the context of the film or event related to the pictures are
explained the connections become clear. The pairing of quotes to new contexts gives the words a
new meaning. The interpretations of words alter when presented in a new way.

4. Works Cited
Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness.NY,NY: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc., 1988.
Jayhan, Phil. “Let‟s Roll 9/11.org.” Let‟s Roll Community Forums. 3 August 2010. 15
November 2011 <http://letsrollforums.com/9-11-jumpers-videos-t21730p4.html>
Payne, William. “President Bush-The Iraq War.” Jerusalem Chronicles. December 2007. 15
November 2011 <http://hk0228.wordpress.com/2003/12/15/december-15th-2003-saddam-
hussein-finally-arrested/>
Weitz, Chris, dir. The Twilight Saga: New Moon. DVD. Summit Entertainment, 2009.
<http://socialitelife.com/the_official_eclipse_trailer_is_here_video_photos-03-2010/twilight-
eclipse-trailer-screencaps-03112010-2>