P2

Civilization's purpose is to create an order among humans. It is to repress the people into a structural foundation that will create some sense of tranquility and uniform. We see that society instills a certain ego in ourselves. We see that it is society that keeps us in check. We are good people not because we are good beings but rather we fear punishment and consequences from acting against the mainstream pressure of repression. We fear condensation, alienation, and gossip from our groups so we stay in line. Society commands discipline of its people and in this, repression and restraint are commanded. Society has put upon its members a professed disguise; yet, beyond the ego we are what we are. However, it is through deciet and denial that we avoid the truth of scoiety's purpose. Throughout Marlow's evolution, he comes to see this wide gap "between what we profess to be and what we are" and is marveled by the absurdity of his position in the world. Indeed, civilization has tried to rationalize the irrational and control the uncontrollable. Yet, the denial is the darkness. The denial of oneself's true expressions of desire, irrational forces, and sexual urges is Conrad's conception of the void. Civilization has been belived to be the light, bringing man and choas to morality and structure- but Conrad tries to show that it is actaully the dark and brings nothing but a false perception of manself and ignorance. In a sense, man has lost themselves to a false reality of the superego and is professing to be what they surely are not.