Heart of Darkness is an 1899 novella by Joseph Conrad. Widely regarded as a critique of European imperialism and a psychological exploration of human nature, it follows an English sailor, Charles Marlow, who recounts his harrowing voyage up the Congo River for a Belgian company to find Mr. Kurtz, an enigmatic ivory trader who has gone mad and established himself as a god-like figure. Plot and Structure: The novella uses a frame narrative (a story within a story). The tale opens on a ship anchored on the River Thames near London, where an unnamed narrator and his crewmates listen to Charles Marlow tell the story of his early life. The core of the book details Marlow's voyage into the Belgian Congo to retrieve Kurtz, a highly successful and revered Company agent who has abandoned his civilized ideals and embraced brutality. Main Characters: Charles Marlow: The protagonist and primary narrator, a sailor who becomes disillusioned by the stark contrast between the purported civilizing mission of colonialism and the brutal reality he witnesses. Mr. Kurtz: A powerful and eloquent ivory trader who devolves into madness, illustrating the moral decay and corruption that unchecked power causes.