Plot

The novella is constructed as the protagonist, a one Charles Marlow, recounting to a friend his travels in Congo. It begins with his employment as captain on board a steamboat for an ivory trading company. Marlow arrives at the Ivory Company’s Outer Station, roughly 30 miles along the Congo River. However, thereupon, finding a railway in the process of being built, he travels down a short ravine and finds a collection of critically ill native Africans. He is subsequently required to remain at the station for 10 days, during which time he meets the company’s chief accountant, who informs him that he believes Kurtz would have travelled far into the outreach. 

Marlow travels to the Central Station with 60 crew members. However, at the Station, he discovers that the steamboat has been wrecked in an incident. The general manager has left word that he has heard a rumour that Kurtz is ill and has left without waiting for Marlow. Marlow thereupon fishes a boat of the river and spends months repairing it. Delayed and infuriated by the lack of tools, Marlow discovers that Kurtz is in fact resented by the general manager and not admired as he thought.

Barring at one point an attack on the vessel, Marlow eventually makes it to Kurtz’s station. Here he finds out that the natives worship Kurtz, but he has become very ill. After a few night-time incidents involving the indigenous’ perceptions of Kurtz, eventually the pair of them travel back across the Congo. Yet at this point, Kurtz, struggling with ill health, succumbs to his predicaments and passes away.

Marlow manages to return to Europe, however is disenchanted with his surroundings compared to what he had experienced in Congo. The novella concludes with him informing Kurtz’s fiancée the circumstances of his death.