Brussels, Belgium: Gateway to Hell

In class today we discussed the scene in "Heart of Darkness" where Marlow journeys through Brussels to the Company's headquarters. I was struck by all the connections that could be made between this journey and a trip to the Underworld of Greek mythology. Firstly, Marlow describes the city as a "whited sepulchre" ( 13). He is saying he is walking in a tomb, as a dead man goes into a tomb. He enters the building, where he sees two women knitting black wool. These women represent the Fates, who are often depicted with the thread of life. When this thread is cut, you die. In Greek mythology it was believed that when one saw the Fates it meant they were about to die. 

He then proceeds to the office of the Company's head, where he signs the contract to work for the Company. In this case, the head of the Company represents Charon, the gatekeeper of the Underworld. In mythology, when a soul died they were believed to have to pay Charon, who operated the boat that would transport them across the River Styx to the Underworld. For this reason, Greeks were often buried with a gold coin under their tongue to pay Charon. Marlow agreeing to work for the Company is analogous to paying Charon to transport him across the river to the Underworld.

That brings me to the final comparison, the river. In Greek mythology, souls would be transported down the River Styx to the Underworld. In the story, Marlow is about to travel down the Congo River to the heart of Africa. Through these comparisons, it would appear that Conrad is making the point that Marlow is venturing into Hell, an idea that definitely seems to be reasonable after reading some of the descriptions of what Marlow witnessed on his trip down the river throughout Part 1 of "Heart of Darkness".