Conrad’s color symbolism throughout the novella thus forces the reader to think in unconventional ways, just as Marlow and Kurtz do, seeing as they are placed in a setting in which they are unleashed from their conventional selves and their real selves are unveiled. In addition to paralleling the themes of the novella, the reversed symbolism initially confuses the reader, and in fact creates yet another parallel, that instead of paralleling the themes, parallels the plot of the novella: due to the reversal of symbolism, the reader must learn an unfamiliar symbolism system and progressively adjust to this just as Marlow was initially presented with an unfamiliar setting/surrounding and form of his own self and also progressively must adjust to these unfamiliarities. Additionally, the reverse symbolism creates an obstacle for the reader that retards the reader’s understanding of the novella, and thus the reader’s difficulty in comprehension parallels to the hardships and difficulties of Marlow’s journey through the heart of darkness.
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