Heart Of Darkness By Joseph Conrad

A thoughtful mariner, sets off a journey up to the Congo River to meet Kurtz

At the beginning of the novella Heart of Darkness Marlow, a thoughtful mariner, sets off a journey up to the Congo River to meet Kurtz, a man known for his great abilities. Marlow is offered a job as a riverboat captain by a Belgian Company to trade in the Congo. As he travels to Africa and then up the Congo, Marlow encounters prevalent disorganization and cruelty in the Company's stations. The native inhabitants of that region have been enforced in the Company's service, and they undergo a terrible overwork and ill treatment at the hands of the Company's agents.

Marlow arrives at the Central Station that was run by the general manager, a conspiratorial character. He has been trapped there because his steamship has been sunk. He spends several months waiting for the parts to repair it. While his stay at the central station, his interest in Kurtz grows. The manager and the brick maker seem to be afraid of Kurtz as he can be a great threat to their position. It is rumored that Kurtz is severely ill, so the repair of the sunken ship is delayed. Marlow finally gets the parts he needs to repair his ship. After the maintenance of the ship the manager sets out with a few agents and a crew of cannibals on a long, difficult voyage up the river.