Role of Women in Conrads Heart of Darkness :: Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness

Women do not play an important part in Heart of Darkness. This is not too surprising as the text was first published for a magazine in 1898. Throughout Marlow's voyage he encounters few women and he does not consider any of them to be his equal. His reference to women places them in their own little world where they should remain. There are a number of reasons as to why Marlow may have this understanding of the female being. These reasons include, but are not limited to, the lack of females in his life, the fact that he is primarily surrounded by men, and the type of women he comes in contact with in his line of work. Â   First and foremost, we will note that Marlow is a seaman. He is a man who has dedicated his life to the ways of the water. As the narrator mentions when speaking of Marlow, "he was the only man of us who still 'followed the sea'" (Conrad, 9). He has been picking up and traveling the world by way of a boat for most of his adult life. The simple fact that he is able to do this without regret is a hint into Marlow's personal life. He cannot be a family man, because it would be too hard for him to be away from family members for such great lengths of time. He may have a mother or a sister somewhere, but it is obvious that, for Marlow, there is no strong bond with any female family member. Even his aunt who so willingly helps him find work is not spoken of lovingly. If Marlow were to have a wife, one would assume that, it would be hard, if not impossible, for him to maintain a faithful marital relationship to her while leading such a Nomadic lifestyle. This is presumably why he is not emotionally attached to a wife or serious girlfriend. Â   It is also safe to say that Marlow does not have any platonic girl associates, because of the statement made about them in their own world. He makes it quite clear that women and men are on two totally different levels. In the time that the story was written, it would have been crazy to think of a woman and a man having a mutual friendship that had no loving or sexual components. Role of Women in Conrad's Heart of Darkness :: Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness Women do not play an important part in Heart of Darkness. This is not too surprising as the text was first published for a magazine in 1898. Throughout Marlow's voyage he encounters few women and he does not consider any of them to be his equal. His reference to women places them in their own little world where they should remain. There are a number of reasons as to why Marlow may have this understanding of the female being. These reasons include, but are not limited to, the lack of females in his life, the fact that he is primarily surrounded by men, and the type of women he comes in contact with in his line of work. Â   First and foremost, we will note that Marlow is a seaman. He is a man who has dedicated his life to the ways of the water. As the narrator mentions when speaking of Marlow, "he was the only man of us who still 'followed the sea'" (Conrad, 9). He has been picking up and traveling the world by way of a boat for most of his adult life. The simple fact that he is able to do this without regret is a hint into Marlow's personal life. He cannot be a family man, because it would be too hard for him to be away from family members for such great lengths of time. He may have a mother or a sister somewhere, but it is obvious that, for Marlow, there is no strong bond with any female family member. Even his aunt who so willingly helps him find work is not spoken of lovingly. If Marlow were to have a wife, one would assume that, it would be hard, if not impossible, for him to maintain a faithful marital relationship to her while leading such a Nomadic lifestyle. This is presumably why he is not emotionally attached to a wife or serious girlfriend. Â   It is also safe to say that Marlow does not have any platonic girl associates, because of the statement made about them in their own world. He makes it quite clear that women and men are on two totally different levels. In the time that the story was written, it would have been crazy to think of a woman and a man having a mutual friendship that had no loving or sexual components.