Heart of darkness and Archetypes

  With the book Heart of Darkness there are many archetypes that enhance the novel and are prominent towards the novel's meaning. Along with the hero's journey Archetype, there are others such as, the ocean and the color black.
      The archetype of the hero's journey is set with the character Marlow, who is a British adventurer who wants to go on an adventure in to the heart of Africa  to look for another white male by the name of Kurtz. he first part if the hero's journey stars with the Departure. The call to Adventure aspect of the hero's journey starts actually when Marlow was young because he always knew that he wanted to go adventures when he studied maps, only when he became older did he finally find he opportunity on the boat. The Supernatural aid aspect of the hero's journey is in the form of Marlows aunt who had conections with people of a higher order that allowed resulted in Marlow getting a position on the boat. Marlow  departure starts in the city of Thames near Gravesend, her Marlow has already contemplated going on an adveture to Africa, where a Belgium company does business. Marlow decides to leave because he hears that the previous captain died after being attacked by the native Africans who are often portrayed as savages.  The natives according to the novel killed the previous captain on the grounds of disrespecting and hostile behavior towards their chief. The Refusal to call aspec of the hero's journey occurs when Marlow has bits os doubt after hearing about most of the expeditionst who never return from a doctor that checks his sanity before departure. Ultimately though Malow is sure of his trip and takes part in the Crossing og the First Threshold part when he finally crosses the ocean and sets foot in Africa. After the arrival to Africa Marlow is in the Initiation phase where he experiences Africa and is taking part in his quest.
     The archetype of the ocean is apparent in the novel. The crossing of the Ocean to a new world, an unknown world represents a spiritual mystery. Marlow who has never been to Africa before, though has heard about it does not know what to expect. The archetype also ties in with the way in which Conrad wrote the novel. Conrad himself stated that he purposely  wrote the novel the way he did as a kind of form follows function idea. The jumbles nature of the novel represents Africa and going through a jungle. The experience of trying to guide ones way through the mysteries of the jungle is synonymous with trying to guide oneself through the meaning of Conrad's novel.
       Another archetype that is apparent is the color black. The color blank often represents darkness, which in a sense has to do with the title of the novel. with the title Conrad introduces the first sense of darkness, in a rather condescending way towards the continent of Africa. This belief that Africa is full of savages who, are in a sense absent of light or enlightenment play towards the criticisms of the racism present in Conrad's novel Though this is one on the darkness's that Conrad seeks to point out. There is another sense of darkness which mostly has to do with Europeans and colonization. This darkness is the corruption of the company and the cruel way in which he natives of Africa are stripped of resources and treated as if they were worth nothing.