Essay about The Inversion of Buddhism in Heart of Darkness

The Inversion of Buddhism in Heart of Darkness In Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness, Marlow is described more than once as sitting in the pose of a Buddha while he begins his story. Even our first view of Marlow prepares us for the later comparison: Marlow sat cross-legged... He had sunken cheeks, a yellow complexion, a strait back, an ascetic aspect, and, with his arms dropped, the palms of hands outwards, resembled an idol (16). This is the very image of a meditating Buddha. Our suspicions are confirmed that Conrad is indeed making reference to the Buddha as he describes the pose of the Buddha of Compassion-- note the hand raised in blessing: Mind, he began again, lifting one arm from the elbow, the palm of the hand†¦show more content†¦Sidharthas search first brought him to the forests where the ascetics meditated and practiced self-mortification having left all worldly possessions behind. Marlows account of the natives beneath the tree could easily have been what Sidhartha saw there: Black shapes crouched, lay, sat, between the trees, leaning against the trunks, clinging to the earth, half coming out, half effaced within the dim light, in all the attitudes of pain, abandonment and despair. . . . They were dying slowly . . . These moribund shapes were free as air-- and nearly as thin. (34-35) Seeking this very freedom, Sidhartha joins the ascetics while Marlow soon joins the accountant who is in such an unexpected elegance of get-up that in the first moment I took him for a sort of vision (36). The description of the accountant immediately following that of the dying natives emphasizes the contrast and reinforces the idea that the path of Sidhartha is not the path of Marlow. The accountant brought with him into the forest all the material trappings of society that ascetics went into the forest to avoid. Likewise, Marlows traveling companion to the central station is rather too fleshy (39) and often faints, requiring Marlow to shade him until he comes to. When asked what brought him there he replies To make money, of course (40), precisely the opposite goal of an ascetic. Sidhartha remains with the ascetics until he