, the men on the ship, and Marlow’s pose. After that, Marlow begins to tell the story. This man listens while Marlow speaks. Marlow sits with friends. The unnamed narrator says, 

“Marlow sat cross-legged… resembling an idol.”

This shows his role. He is like a prophet. He does not tell a direct tale. He reflects and explains.  Through this frame, Conrad makes the story mysterious. The light of the Thames connects with the darkness of the Congo.

Outer Station – First Hints of Darkness: Marlow’s role as narrator starts with shock. In Brussels, he calls the city the “White Sepulchre” (symbol of hypocrisy). In the Outer Station, he sees starving Africans. He also sees a useless French ship firing into the forest. He observes that the empire is not light, but cruel. Here, he meets the Chief Accountant. The man is clean and white, “like a vision”, but around him is death. This contrast is Marlow’s way of showing irony.

Central Station – Waiting and Listening: At the Central Station, Marlow finds his boat broken. It takes three months to repair. At this time, he hears many stories of Kurtz. The Manager and the Brickmaker both envy and fear Kurtz. Marlow narrates,

“For me it crawled towards Kurtz—exclusively.”

His role here is to prepare us. He builds suspense. He makes Kurtz a mystery before we see him.

Inner Station – Meeting Kurtz: At last, Marlow reaches the Inner Station. The Russian Trader welcomes him, dressed in colorful rags. He says Kurtz is like a god to the villagers. When Kurtz is brought out on a stretcher, the people cry out. Yet Kurtz silences them with only his weak voice. This shows his power. Marlow sees the African Mistress, decorated and proud. She is Africa itself, wild and strong. At night, Kurtz tries to crawl back to the forest. Marlow stops him. On the return journey, Kurtz dies. His last words are, 

“The horror! The horror!”

As the narrator, Marlow gives this moment deep meaning. He sees it as the truth of the empire and man’s soul.

Return to Europe – The Lie to the Intended: Marlow himself becomes sick but survives. In Europe, he meets Kurtz’s Intended. She believes Kurtz was noble. She asks him about Kurtz’s last words. Marlow lies. He says, 

“The last word he pronounced was—your name.”

Here, Marlow is not just a teller of facts. He protects her dream. He hides the horror. But he shows the reader the truth. His role is interpreter of both reality and illusion.

From the Thames to the Congo, from Outer Station to Inner Station, Marlow is more than a sailor. He is a narrator, a thinker, and a guide. He shows irony in Brussels, fear in the Central Station, horror with Kurtz, and illusion with the Intended. Through Marlow, Conrad’s tale becomes not just a story of Africa, but a story of the darkness of the human soul.