Heart of Darkness

Use these links to supplement and complement students’ reading of the work and to increase their overall enjoyment of literature. Challenge them to discern parallel themes, engage through visual and aural stimuli, and delve deeper into the thematic possibilities presented by the title.

Recommended Texts for Pairing

“Darkness” by Lord Byron

• This poem explores a time of terrifying darkness and its impact on the human mind.
• Compare and contrast with Conrad’s use of symbolic darkness to explore horror and despondency and the absurdity of morality.

“The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Adichie

• This well-known TED Talk discusses how literature affects our perceptions of places like Africa.
• Analyze how Conrad’s Heart of Darkness contributes to the phenomenon Adichie identifies.

Johnny Mad Dog by Emmanuel Dongala

• This novel, by a prize-winning Congolese writer, explores the contemporary ramifications of Africa’s colonial history.
• Analyze how imperialism and colonialism destabilized African societies; compare and contrast with the horror and despondency and the absurdity of morality depicted in Heart of Darkness.

Apocalypse Now

• Francis Ford Coppola’s famous war film was inspired by Heart of Darkness.
• Compare and contrast Coppola’s and Conrad’s treatment of the themes of imperialism and colonialism, the absurdity of morality, and despondency and horror.

Other Student Resources

“Congo: The River”

• This short BBC video introduces the Congo River and its people.
• Although Conrad does not name the river in Heart of Darkness, scholars agree that it is likely the Congo River. This video will help students visualize the setting more clearly.

Heart of Darkness: Full Audiobook

• This is an audiobook version of Heart of Darkness.
• Students can access the audio version if reading the print version presents a learning obstacle.

Teacher Resources

JOSEPH CONRAD’s Heart of Darkness: Representing Colonial Atrocity

• This 38-minute video offers a critical reading of Heart of Darkness.
• It offers insight into the novella’s historical background, how it functions as a European representation of Africa, and how it critiques the idea of masculine adventure.

Conrad and the Critics: Responses to Heart of Darkness

• This Athabasca University page offers brief summaries of key critical responses to Heart of Darkness.
• These interpretations offer a variety of routes into understanding and teaching the novella.