Encountering "Boundary Situations"

Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness has attracted much critical interest ever since its first appearance in 1899. Many critics attribute its popularity to Conrad's skillful dealing with in his work the most enduring problems of moral values and individual's self-knowledge. If a man is allowed to operate outside a social system, he will be corrupted by his power over other human beings, or he will become insane without moral values on him. Through his individual experience, he can also come to his own discovery and the realization of his existence in one indifferent world. Based on this idea, the thesis attempts to analyze Conrad's existential ideas presented in Heart of Darkness.This thesis will approach Heart of Darkness from an existential perspective to throw a new light on the study of the text. It centers on four salient existential ideas: "boundary situations", alienation, quest for authenticity and freedom and responsibility. Thus it is composed of six parts totally.The introduction part offers a generalization of the whole story of Heart of Darkness and points out that the thesis will interpret the novella in the light of existentialism.Chapter Two introduces the existential term "boundary situations", and discusses their influences on human's existence.Chapter Three presents human's existence after encountering "boundary situations". The cold world makes man feel anxious, depressed and even alienated. Alienation is a general feeling in the world of man.