Joseph Conrad's 1889 short story Heart of Darkness shows that when one is removed from a society of moral judgment, the established rules of society are open to change and one is free to do what we want. Kurtz, an ambitious and charismatic man with a hunger for greatness, was corrupted by greed and descended into madness after being isolated from European society for so long in the heart of Africa. Similarly, Marlow begins his descent into darkness on his journey to the heart of Africa, and would almost have followed in Kurtz's footsteps had he not become aware of the true darkness inherent in himself and all humans. In his journey to reach Kurtz, Marlow passes through three different stations, first the Outer Station, then the Central Station, and finally the Inner Station. Marlow witnesses many atrocities committed by white men on the natives during his journey. At the first station, he meets the accountant, always well dressed and very organized, but who ignores the suffering of those around him and only reacts when the patient makes noises that disrupt his reading. While Marlow said: “This man had really accomplished something. And he devoted himself to his books, which were in apple pie order” (Conrad, 85), and described him as being very well dressed, the fact that “everything else in the station was in disarray” and the “ strings of dust” of splay-footed negroes” (85) show the hypocritical nature of the enterprise. The accountant is representative of the company and its facade of professionalism, his true nature being cruel and insensitive to the suffering around him. After traveling to the central station by caravan. , he meets the manager who, apart from his remarkable ability to never get sick (probably the only reason why he remains in the middle of a paper...... presents two sides of the same coin, the two which come to the same realization, but only Marlow lives to tell the tale He learns more about himself as he realizes that within every person lies darkness, and that under the right conditions, that darkness can consume and take. the upper hand on the person if not properly controlled. What we think of as "modern civilization" is the brake on the heart of darkness of many people. A certain degree of darkness can be said to reside within everyone. person, but this darkness will only surface if given a suitable environment. Darkness, however, can emerge and ultimately destroy the person if it is not controlled by reason. self that we acquire the power to overcome our inner darkness and all its elements. Just as everyone has within us the potential for evil, we too have the potential for true good..