Going up that river was like travelling back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings. An empty stream, a great silence, an impenetrable forest. The air was warm, thick, heavy, sluggish. There was no joy in the brilliance of sunshine. The long stretches of the waterway ran on, deserted, into the gloom of overshadowed distances.
In Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness," the journey up the river evokes a sense of regression to the dawn of time, where nature thrived abundantly and majestic trees reigned. The scene is marked by stillness and isolation, with the river appearing empty and the forest dense and mysterious. The description conveys a haunting beauty, as the lush environment feels overwhelming rather than inviting.
The atmosphere is heavy and oppressive, with warmth that is stifling rather than comforting. The sunlight, instead of bringing joy, adds to the eerie mood, as the long stretches of water seem to lead into dark, unexplored territories. This imagery reinforces the themes of exploration and the confrontation with primal forces of nature in the narrative.
