Heart of Darkness Prompt #2

First off, the women’s personalities are cold and indifferent to the situation Marlow is subjecting himself to.  They know of the terrors that come with the occupation which Marlow has decided to take, yet they do not show any courtesy towards the man.  The blackness of their wool represents death and the women, whom are knitting the wool, are the harbingers of death.  Because they do, in fact lead Marlow into the deal room where he will inevitably sign his humanity over to the company.  Secondly, the yellow spot on the map marks where Marlow is to explore and spend the majority of his time.  That will be his place to roam free, and yet it will also be his cage.  All of the other colors of the map are described as abundant and well known.  There are many more areas marked with other coors, but there is only one yellow territory- a territory that all of the rest of the colonizing countries have left untouched for some reason, they have avoided it.  Yellow itself is a sickening color.  There’s yellow fever, infections of the flesh that turn a festering yellow, hyperbilirubinemia can turn the skin and eyes ictaric.  Yellow also connotes fear as found in the term, “yellow bellied.”  Lastly, the manager’s paleness and corpulence represent the true nature of the slave trade at the time.  The companies disregarded all principle and hid behind feigned trusting smiles to gain the confidence of the British public.  The managers obesity contrasts the grotesque malnutrition of the slaves Marlow past on his way into the office highlighting the injustice of the situation.