Heart of DarknessJoseph Conrad, like many authors, used his own experiences as the basis for his novels. Specifically, Conrad's journey down the Congo River as captain of a West African steamboat formed the basis of his novel Heart of Darkness. In this novel, the story's narrator, Marlow, Conrad's protagonist, travels through the Congo in search of Kurtz, an ivory dealer, and eventually finds himself in the "heart of darkness." Conrad also used his pessimistic outlook on life as the basis for Heart of Darkness. Conrad's fatalistic attitude is evident when he explains to his friend RB Cunninghame Graham: "There is... a machine. It evolved on its own... and behold! - he knits himself... He knits us in and he knits us. He has woven time, space, pain, death, corruption, despair, and all illusions – and nothing matters. I admit, however, that watching this merciless process is sometimes amusing.” Within the Heart of Darkness, three obvious themes are death, corruption, and despair. During Marlow's journey into the "heart of darkness", death, corruption, and despair became the overt themes of the novel. First of all, Marlow came face to face with death several times during his journey. Marlow discovers Kurtz's death, the climax of the novel, when the headmaster's boy tells Marlow, "Mistah Kurtz, he's dead" (Conrad 64). Another death occurs when the attack on the liner leaves the helmsmen dead with "the shaft of a spear in the side just below the ribs ».” ...