The reign of evil in the form of imperialism, greed or lust for power and the prevailing moral and spiritual corruption in human society is the central theme of Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. He uses very strong symbolism to impress upon his reader the gravity of the situation. To portray the evil, the whole novel is filled with darkness. Nothing describes evil better than the symbolism of darkness. Everything in the book is shrouded in murkiness. All the places in the novel are portrayed as bleak and dull. Darkness consequently appears to work figuratively and existentially as well. Continue reading...