Insanity is Contagious

“What was it you told me the last time? Ah, yes . . . ‘If you save your breath I feel a man like you can manage it.’ And if you won’t manage it, you’ll die . . . only slowly. Very slowly, old friend.”

-          Eli Wallach (Tuco) in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The ‘wild’ west is one of the most famous places of lawlessness. With a surplus in guns and a deficit in sheriffs, many of the outlaws, such as the ever-quotable Eli Wallach, were able to make their own rules. However, this corrupt phenomenon has been seen throughout human history, specifically during the colonization or settling of bleak environments, such as the west.

Joseph Conrad explores this ‘darkness’ in man in his novella Heart of Darkness (1899), which follows Marlow’s quest up the Congo River in search of the enigmatic Kurtz. Throughout the journey, Marlow witnesses the harshness of Dutch imperialism in the Congo and struggles to come to terms with savagery of both the natives and the Europeans. Two main themes pervade Conrad’s work: darkness, in its many forms, and insanity. These ideas continuously affect and shape one another to a point where Conrad implicates that one is the cause of the other.

Similarly to western films, no one person or place is truly ‘good’ on the Congo. Marlow constantly describes his journey in Africa as descending into the heart of a darkness, while Conrad parallels the evilness on the Congo to the darkness on the Thames (and the rest of Europe). This lack of morality causes all judgements to be relative. In the movie, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, contrary to assumed belief, none of the characters are truly good. Clint Eastwood’s Blondie, the “good,” is only the best of the three. However, when judged by normal standards, he is still an outlaw and a murderer. Conrad uses this structure in his novella as well. While eavesdropping, Marlow first becomes truly aware of the true evil present everywhere:

“I saw him extend his short flipper of an arm for a gesture that took in the forest, the creek, the mud, the river, - seemed to beckon with a dishonouring flourish before the sunlit face of the land a treacherous appeal to the lucking death, to the hidden evil, to the profound darkness of its heart.” (73)

Once Marlow (and the reader) realize that the darkness is everywhere, normal standards of morality cannot be used. Kurtz and Marlow rise above the traditional plane of judgement because of their situation. Kurtz, unlike the Company, embraces the darkness surrounding him and chooses to be honest, just as Marlow does, about his actions; the Company, while practicing just as violent behavior, hides behind the façade of ‘civilizing’ the natives. The idea of judgement is touched upon by Marlon Brando's portrayal of Kurtz, in the Heart of Darkness inspired film, Apocalypse Now (1979). He says, “But you have no right to judge me. It’s impossible for words to describe what is necessary to those who do not know what horror means. Horror.”

The second theme, insanity, is depicted by Kurtz, as his life on the Congo has caused him to lose his mind. Conrad suggests that anyone living in darkness for that long will go insane, due to the moral stress. The start of this process is viewed by Marlow. His short time on the Congo, in comparison to Kurtz, has caused him to feel slightly crazed, exemplified by his repetition of the phrase “a little fever.” He, while representing a ‘good’ person, feels the effects of the darkness of the Congo. Marlow attempts to explain this concept to his friends on the Thames by saying:

“The thing was to know what he belonged to, how many powers of darkness claimed him for their own. That was the reflection that made you creepy all over. It was impossible – it was not good for one either – trying to imagine. He had taken a high seat amongst the devils of the land – I mean literally.” (91)

Marlow is scared by the insanity caused by the evilness on the Congo. He sees the lawlessness as a way to lose oneself, without a lawful society or public opinion to guide one.

Conrad ultimately wants his reader to understand what Marlow learned: human darkness is everywhere. The only way to not feel the effects of insanity is to follow Marlow’s footsteps. He accepts the darkness in the world and actively attempts to live an honorable life, instead of ignoring the stress of darkness.

“Insanity is contagious.”

-          Joseph Heller, Catch-22