15 words to know before reading Heart of Darkness

1. Partial or total darkness; dimness.
2. A state of melancholy or depression.

his work was not out there in the luminous estuary, but behind him, within the brooding gloom. Between us there was, as I have already said somewhere, the bond of the sea. Besides holding our

1. Deeply thoughtful or reflective, often with sadness.
2. Sitting on eggs to hatch them, as a bird.

to realize his work was not out there in the luminous estuary, but behind him, within the brooding gloom. Between us there was, as I have already said somewhere, the bond of the sea. Besides

1. A man or boy; informal term for a male friend.
2. The jaw or cheek of a person or animal.

thunderstruck, till some man—I was told the chief’s son—in desperation at hearing the old chap yell, made a tentative jab with a spear at the white man—and of course it went quite easy

1. To ride on ocean waves using a board.
2. The foam and waves of the sea.

The edge of a colossal jungle, so dark-green as to be almost black, fringed with white surf, ran straight, like a ruled line, far, far away along a blue sea whose glitter was blurred by a

1. Hard, white material from tusks and teeth of elephants and other animals.
2. A creamy white color resembling ivory.

that couldn’t talk, and perhaps was deaf as well. What was in there? I could see a little ivory coming out from there, and I had heard Mr. Kurtz was in there. I had heard enough about it,

1. A small, simple shelter or dwelling, often made of wood or other natural materials.
2. A temporary or basic structure used for camping or storage.

He would rave about pigeons. After work hours he used sometimes to come over from his hut for a talk about his children and his pigeons; at work, when he had to crawl in the mud under the

1. The reflexive form of "you," referring to the person being addressed.
2. Used to emphasize the subject "you."

and butted all day long against shoals, trying to find the channel, till you thought yourself bewitched and cut off forever from everything you had known once—somewhere—far away—in another

1. A sharp or jagged projection, especially on a tree or branch.
2. An unexpected problem or obstacle.

his head. I was amazed. Then I had to look at the river mighty quick, because there was a snag in the fairway. Sticks, little sticks, were flying about—thick: they were whizzing before my

1. People who journey to sacred places for religious reasons.
2. Early English settlers in America, notably the Mayflower passengers.

in Europe. I became in an instant as much of a pretence as the rest of the bewitched pilgrims. This simply because I had a notion it somehow would be of help to that Kurtz whom at the time I

1. A movable cover for a window or door.
2. A device on a camera that opens to allow light in for a photo.

the snag clumsily. Arrows, by Jove! We were being shot at! I stepped in quickly to close the shutter on the landside. That fool-helmsman, his hands on the spokes, was lifting his knees high,

1. A measure or condition that limits or controls something.
2. Self-control or moderation in behavior or expression.

Sad, but true. And these chaps, too, had no earthly reason for any kind of scruple. Restraint! I would just as soon have expected restraint from a hyena prowling amongst the corpses of a

1. Worthy of attention; striking or unusual.
2. Exceptionally good or impressive.

don’t you know—and outside it was so beastly, beastly dark. I went no more near the remarkable man who had pronounced a judgment upon the adventures of his soul on this earth. The voice was

1. Fluent and persuasive speaking or writing.
2. The ability to express oneself clearly and powerfully.

small matter which, when the pressing need arose, could not be found under his magnificent eloquence. Whether he knew of this deficiency himself I can’t say. I think the knowledge came to him at

1. To speak very softly using one's breath without vocal cords.
2. A quiet or secretive conversation.

things of which he had no conception till he took counsel with this great solitude—and the whisper had proved irresistibly fascinating. It echoed loudly within him because he was hollow at the

1. A feeling of deep distress caused by loss or disappointment.
2. An event or circumstance that causes sadness or grief.

wild, and violent as they had been, they had given me an irresistible impression of sorrow. The glimpse of the steamboat had for some reason filled those savages with unrestrained grief.