Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is a novella that explores the grim realities of European imperialism in Africa through the journey of its narrator, Marlow. As a steamboat captain for a Belgian trading company, Marlow travels deep into the Congo River basin in search of Kurtz, a mysterious and powerful ivory trader. Along the way, he witnesses the brutal exploitation and dehumanization of African people under the guise of civilization and commerce. The further Marlow ventures into the wilderness, the more he is confronted with the moral and psychological decay at the heart of colonialism.

When Marlow finally meets Kurtz, he finds a man who has abandoned all traces of European values and set himself up as a god among the natives, consumed by power and madness. Kurtz’s haunting final words—“The horror! The horror!”—underscore the darkness that lies within human nature and the destructiveness of unchecked ambition. Heart of Darkness is a powerful critique of imperialism and a profound exploration of the thin line between civilization and savagery, making it a seminal work in modern literature.