I - Stave II Practice Quiz — Heart of Darkness
by Joseph Conrad — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: I - Stave II
How does Marlow obtain his appointment as a steamboat captain?
He enlists his aunt to use her connections with influential people in the colonial administration to secure him the position with the Continental trading company.
What happened to Captain Fresleven, the man Marlow replaces?
Fresleven was killed by a chief's son after he beat the village chief with a stick over a dispute about two black hens.
What does Marlow find when he later visits Fresleven's remains?
He finds Fresleven's skeleton untouched with grass growing through the ribs, and the village completely deserted — its inhabitants having fled in terror and never returned.
What biblical allusion does Marlow use to describe Brussels?
He calls it a "whited sepulchre," a reference to Matthew 23:27, meaning something that appears beautiful outwardly but is full of corruption and death within.
Who are the two women in the Company office, and what do they symbolize?
Two women knitting black wool who symbolize the Fates of Greek mythology — one introduces visitors to their destiny, the other scrutinizes them with all-knowing eyes.
What Latin phrase does Marlow use when describing the knitting women, and what does it mean?
"Morituri te salutant" — "those who are about to die salute you," a phrase used by Roman gladiators, implying the men entering the Company are heading to their deaths.
What colors does Marlow notice on the map in the Company office?
Red, blue, green, orange, and purple patches representing different colonial territories. Marlow is heading into the yellow patch, "dead in the centre," representing the Belgian Congo.
How does Marlow describe the river on the map?
He describes it as "fascinating — deadly — like a snake," foreshadowing the danger and allure of his journey into the interior.
What unusual request does the Company doctor make during Marlow's examination?
The doctor asks to measure Marlow's skull with calipers "in the interests of science" and inquires whether there is any madness in his family.
What does the doctor say about the men who go to Africa and return?
He says "Oh, I never see them" when asked if he measures men on their return, and adds ominously that "the changes take place inside."
How does Marlow's aunt view his mission in Africa?
She sees him as "an emissary of light" and "something like a lower sort of apostle," believing in the civilizing mission of colonialism and talking about "weaning those ignorant millions from their horrid ways."
How does Marlow respond to his aunt's idealism about the Company's mission?
He ventures to hint that the Company is run for profit, and privately reflects that women are "out of touch with truth" and live in a world of their own.
What absurd scene does Marlow witness involving a French warship?
A French man-of-war anchored off the coast fires its guns pointlessly into the vast jungle at unseen "enemies," with tiny projectiles that produce no visible effect whatsoever.
What does the Swedish captain tell Marlow about a fellow Swede?
He tells Marlow that he recently transported a man who hanged himself on the road upcountry, suggesting the psychological toll of colonial life in Africa.
What does Marlow find at the Company station when he first arrives?
He finds a scene of "inhabited devastation" — a boiler wallowing in grass, decaying machinery, rusty rails, an overturned railway truck, and workers blasting a cliff for no apparent purpose.
What theme does the Fresleven episode introduce?
The psychological transformation of Europeans in colonial Africa — Fresleven, described as the gentlest of men, became violent after two years in the Congo, foreshadowing Kurtz's moral deterioration.
What is the significance of the phrase "the cause of progress" in this section?
Marlow uses it ironically when wondering what became of Fresleven's hens, suggesting that "progress" is a euphemism for destruction and exploitation rather than genuine advancement.
How does Marlow describe the African coast during his voyage?
He describes it as monotonous and primeval, like "thinking about an enigma" — featureless, dark-green jungle fringed with white surf, with an atmosphere of "mournful and senseless delusion."
What feeling overcomes Marlow as he leaves his aunt's house?
He feels like an impostor and experiences a "startled pause" — as though he were about to set off for the centre of the earth rather than the centre of a continent.
What does the Company clerk mean when he quotes "I am not such a fool as I look, quoth Plato to his disciples"?
He is implying that despite his lowly position, he is smart enough not to go to Africa himself, hinting at the dangers that await those who do.