Status Updates From Heart of Darkness and Other...

Tale one of four:
An Outpost of Progress *****

I saw the inconceivable mystery of a soul that knew no restraint, no faith, and no fear, yet struggling blindly with itself.

I saw him open his mouth wide - it gave him a weirdly voracious aspect, as though he had wanted to swallow all the air, all the earth, all the men before him.

I went a little farther, then still a little farther - till I had gone so far I don't know how I'll ever get back.

- Marlow continues his journey up (the Congo river?), finding more and more about Kurt and his enigmatic persona, along with experiencing the “darkness” of his surroundings and the country of Congo, often calling it another world, planet and epoch. He also encounters the Eldorado Expedition group, which I interpret as a group of lawless travellers and plunderers who are there to earn a profit and exploit the land

- Mention of Zanzibaris, showing the extent and truth of other Africans and in some places (Kenya) using workers from other colonies like India.
- Marlow reflects on the “doctors” words before he left England, when he wondered about the psychology and health of being in the “jungle” and the African continent, heat, isolation etc.
- Marlow travels up the river, lot of mention of ivory and Kurt, ominous feel

'Keep quiet!' I said in a fury. I might just as well have ordered a tree not to sway in the wind.