I - Stave I Quiz — Heart of Darkness

Where does the opening scene of Heart of Darkness take place?

• On a steamboat on the Congo River
• On the Nellie, anchored on the Thames
• In a London office building
• On a dock at the Port of Gravesend

Why are the men unable to proceed down the river at the start of the story?

• The ship has engine trouble
• A storm is approaching
• They are waiting for the tide to turn
• The captain has not yet arrived

What historical comparison does Marlow make in his opening monologue?

• He compares Victorian London to ancient Athens
• He compares Roman conquest of Britain to European colonization of Africa
• He compares the Thames to the Nile
• He compares British sailors to Spanish conquistadors

According to Marlow, what is the only thing that can "redeem" the conquest of the earth?

• Military superiority
• Economic profit
• An unselfish belief in an idea
• Religious conversion of native peoples

What does Marlow say the African river looks like on the map?

• A golden thread winding through the jungle
• An immense snake uncoiled
• A dark wound across the continent
• A silver ribbon stretching to the horizon

How does the unnamed narrator describe Marlow's storytelling style?

• Direct and simple, like other seamen's yarns
• Meaning lies outside the tale like a haze around a glow
• Dry and factual with little embellishment
• Exaggerated and unreliable

What phrase does Marlow use to describe the seductive pull of savagery on civilized people?

• The horror of the unknown
• The allure of the primitive
• The fascination of the abomination
• The darkness within

What does Marlow mean when he says "We live in the flicker"?

• Modern technology like gaslight is unreliable
• Civilization is temporary and fragile between long periods of darkness
• Life at sea is brief and dangerous
• European power will soon decline

Which of these events actually occur in this opening section?

Which of these details about the characters on the Nellie are accurate?

What does "diaphanous" mean as used in "draping the low shores in diaphanous folds"?

• Heavy and dark
• Light and nearly transparent
• Rough and tangled
• Brightly colored

What does "inscrutable" mean as used in "as inscrutable as Destiny"?

• Dangerous and violent
• Impossible to understand or interpret
• Ancient and decaying
• Constantly changing

What is a "trireme" as Marlow uses the word?

• A Roman military formation
• A type of ancient warship with three banks of oars
• A three-pronged spear used in combat
• A Roman administrative district