Part one of term paper
In Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad often uses vague,“muted” descriptions, leaving a melange of possible meanings in the reader's lap. One exception to this trend is Conrad's symbolic use of ivory. Within the frame of the story, his references to ivory can obviously be seen as a representation of the white man's greed. Towards the end of ...

Part two of term paper
... bewitched inside a rotten fence. Pilgrims are usually people who travel to a holy place, so why the choice of words? Conrad further explains in the following lines when he says, “The word ‘ivory' rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed. You would think they were praying to it.” In their rapacity the “pilgrims” have placed ivory as their God, a realization that has greater meaning towards the end of the book. The significance of ivory begins to move away from avarice and takes on a p ...