Heart of Darkness 3

• "The man had rolled on his back and stared straight up at me; both his hands clutched that cane"

• The African helmsman, despite having just been struck by a spear, appears to be rather calm. In fact, even despite the tremendous pain he is in, he appears to be in fact so tolerant of physical pain that he still can look at Marlow. This implies a braveness that is rather uncharacteristic of a colonized person who should in fact be brute and savage.

• "A pool of blood lay very still, gleaming dark-red under the wheel; his eyes shone with an amazing lustre."

• The visual imagery here is vivid as it reminds the reader that the African helmsman is in fact suffering an immense physical pain to have bled so much. Yet, still, his eyes remain shining. He appears to die a very dignified death, despite being only a native.

•  "The tumult of angry and warlike yells"

• However, again, the natives are again depicted as savage and uncivilized as they scream in such a manner, evoking the reader to perceive them as rather animalistic.

• "'Good God!' he said, glaring at the wounded man."

• This expression of shock by the pilgrim implies that the pilgrim feels horrified by the sole sight of the gory scene of the African helmsman's death. Marlow's inclusion of this observation in his account evokes within the reader an awed admiration for the ability of the helmsman to withstand such a painful death while the European bystanders appears to have a negative reaction, although he himself is unharmed.

• "We two whites stood over him"

• However, the remark regarding their positions reinforces the general view of Europeans being "higher" and "more civilized" than the natives. The Europeans are maintaining an upright position while the African helmsman lies on the deck. The upright position is one of the first physical traits distinguishing humans from animals.

• "it looked as though he would presently put to us some question in an understandable language; but he died without uttering a sound, without moving a limb, without twitching a muscle."

• This sentence alone showcases two contrasting views of the natives. Firstly, it seems to divulge an understanding of the dying African helmsman on Marlow's part and implies Marlow's anticipation of the African helmsman to communicate his last words to Marlow. However, the helmsman does not speak, reverting to being a native with whom Marlow cannot communicate.

Conclusion:

Marlow's observations regarding the natives and the African helmsman are, as presented in this passage, contradicting in many cases. His observations are objective; he notes civilized as well as uncivilized characteristics in the natives and the African helmsman that both comply and disagree with the sweeping generalizations prevalent among Europeans of the natives.