ABSTRACT
If the volume that contains 'Youth', 'Heart of Darkness' and 'The End of the Tether' is meant to represent the three ages of man, it does so not only through the literal ages of its chief protagonists but also through the progressive deterioration of optimism embodied in their respective themes. Joseph Conrad himself thought of 'Heart of Darkness' in terms of its similarities with and differences from his other fiction. J. Hillis Miller describes the structure of 'Heart of Darkness' as, passing of portals, traveling through states which leads the reader ever deeper into the darkness. Marlow's Roman story and his brief commentary on it act like a traditional prologue, highlighting all the themes to come in the main story. Peter Brooks measures the plotting of 'Heart of Darkness' against the paradigm of detective fiction. Miles notes the frequently parabolic nature of philosophical romance, comparing it to Brechtian epic theatre.
