Heart of Darkness

Abstract
This paper introduces and discusses the book “Heart of Darkness,” by Joseph Conrad. Specifically, it analyzes the role of women in this novella. The paper looks at how women are represented and what sort of comments are made about women “in general”. Women in “Heart of Darkness” play an important and distinctive role in the tale. They represent civilization (and the lack of it) far away in the jungles of Africa, where the “darkness” lies in wait for every man.

From The Paper
“The African woman in the novel serves another purpose. She is totally opposite of The Intended, and of what “perfect” women are supposed to be back home in civilization. She is a leader, she is strong, and so she is infinitely frightening to the men. “Only the barbarous and superb woman did not so much as flinch, and stretched tragically her bare