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"Going up that river was like travelling back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings. An empty streams, a great silence, an impenetrable forest. The air was warm, thick, heavy, sluggish. There was no joy in the brilliance of sunshine” (94).

Allusion: a reference, within a literary work, to another work of fiction, a film, a piece of art, or even a real event. An allusion serves as a kind of shorthand, drawing on this outside work to provide greater context or meaning to the situation being written about. The allusion to the Garden of Eden at the beginning of time creates a mental image of a utopian landscape and social harmony. The image Marlow is describing, however, is not a peaceful one at all. Empty streams, silence, forests, and thick air are all mentioned in these few sentences. These words create a completely different image: one of darkness, rather than one of light.

Connotation: the associated or secondary meaning of a word or expression in addition to its explicit or primary meaning. Riots are chaotic. They are evil. They hurt. The pilgrims were creating riots deep within the African wilderness. These men were selfish and filled with pride. The “rioting vegetation” goes hand-in-hand with the allusion to the Garden of Eden, where the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil became the symbol of the fall of man. The native plants and resources, especially ivory, proved to be the root of the greed within the pilgrims in Africa.

Metaphor: a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between two unlike things that actually have something in common. A metaphor expresses the unfamiliar in terms of the familiar. The pilgrims, especially Kurtz, became like “big trees,” exalted above everything so all eyes could see. The goal of all men who went to the Congo was to become the “next big thing.” Their selfishness overruled any moral standards they may have held before embarking on their journeys. The pilgrims caused the air, or atmosphere, to be warm, thick, heavy, and sluggish. Their greed smothered every other emotion and thought, sweeping them under the rug.

Irony: a technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is actually or ostensibly stated; a technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is actually or ostensibly stated. Sunshine is often used to represent light emotions, especially happiness. Sunshine represents the beginning of a new day, shattering the darkness of the night. In the African environment, full of pain and punishment, not even the sunshine could bring the hope of a new day. The hardened hearts of the pilgrims created a fog, blocking the sunshine and preventing joy from reaching the hearts and minds of everyone else.

i would have spared you this... but it's probably the best close reading i've ever done... sad, huh? anyway. i'm basically okay with it. usually i hate stuff i write...