HoD

Conrad establishes a rather bleak and dingy setting at the opening of HoD, using diction such as "dark" and "gloomy," allowing the reader to have a meaningful understanding of how the rest of the book may or may not progress. Half-way through the second page, though, Conrad takes a turn from the gloomy descriptors by describing the river as tranquil and serene. Such description sharply contrasts with the previous setting, but the cheery tone quickly subsides with the flip of a page.

I noticed that the four others with Marlow seem to be associated with the middle class (lawyer, accountant) and they sometimes give off the impression that they are unable to relate to Marlow and his continuous desire to seek even further adventure through sailing.

As the story continues, Marlow somehow becomes endowed in the history of the Romans; he seems to relate his present surrounding with what he knew about their history. Yet as his curiosity continues I begin to wonder why he is rambling on; what he was saying had little to do with the purpose of their sailing which made it impossible to make any connections, but I assume I will discover the meaning eventually.

What also struck me as interesting was Marlow's god-like descriptors; it further set up his character and made me realize his importance not only in the town but also in the story and how he will play an assumingly large role through the progression of the story.

At the closing of the first section, Marlow begins to recount his travels in Africa. He describes to the others the continuous death and famine the unfortunate Africans are susceptible to. This inclusion further establishes the bleak tone of the story, as well as the gloominess already present in Marlow's life.