Essay on Heart of Darkness

The novella form is ideal for Heart of Darkness because it intensifies the book’s sense of mystery, supports its focused narrative structure, and enhances its dark, ambiguous tone. Its tone works perfectly with this length. The book is shorter than a novel and longer than a short story. This fosters a sense of mystery. And mystery is very central to the book. A novella is also perfect for supporting the story. Morrow’s voyage is neither long enough for a novel or short enough for a short story. And keeping it tight means that there is nothing unnecessary in the book. The novella format facilitates all of the incredible aspects of Heart of Darkness.

The novella’s brevity enhances the story’s central mystery, preventing over-explanation and allowing uncertainty to linger. We don’t know what’s out in the jungle. We rarely glimpse the natives and we hardly know what Kurtz was up to. Along with the mystery of the jungle, traders connive and plot against each other. “…all that mysterious life of the wilderness that stirs in the forest, in the jungles, in the hearts of wild men…—hidden out of sight somewhere.” A longer work would explain away the mystery. Morrow and the reader only get a brief glance into Africa. The length of a novella gives us just enough information.

The length of the book fits the length of the story. A long novel would go beyond the scope of an expedition to Africa. The story couldn’t be made longer without losing its purpose. This story follows Morrow’s adventure and not his character development solely. In many ways Morrow is our guide to Africa and not the main character. This adventure we see is the primary focus, not the character arc of Morrow. Character arcs need a lot of time to develop while this story does not. He, like us, develops after the events.

Heart of Darkness is to the point, succinct, and largely free of errors. Conrad keeps the book focused. While length can be a feature of some novels, it’s better to leave the table a little hungry. A book should be only as long as is needed. Length helps to draw you into the lives of the characters. Events quickly reveal Morrow as a conflicted figure. No more is needed. Editing a book down shapes the diamonds in the ruff. The Little Prince, a famous novella, was originally twice the size of its final form.

In conclusion, Heart of Darkness is the perfect length. Conrad was wise. He chose a length to fit the story. The length of a novella supported the tone and story of Heart of Darkness. His work is a valuable reminder that quantity is not better than quality. Conrad shows us why and how to craft an incredible novella.

References

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad