Heart of Darkness Final Test: Whole-Novella Quiz

Heart of Darkness Whole Novella questions

The answers and an explanation for each question appear as you play, and on the answer-key page of the printout.

1. Up which river does Marlow travel?
   The Congo · The Nile · The Niger · The Amazon
2. How is the novella narrated?
   Kurtz tells his own story in letters · Marlow writes it down as a diary · An all-knowing narrator follows Kurtz · A frame narrator relays Marlow's story
3. What is Kurtz famous for at the stations?
   Building the finest hospital · Converting thousands to Christianity · Sending in more ivory than anyone else · Mapping the whole river
4. What does the novella suggest about the 'civilising mission' of colonialism?
   It truly improves life for the colonised · It hides greed and cruelty behind fine words · It is led by honest and kind officials · It has nothing to do with trade
5. Who announces Kurtz's death to the Europeans?
   The manager's boy · Marlow himself · The Russian trader · The pilgrims' leader
6. How does Conrad complicate the usual meanings of 'light' and 'darkness'?
   Africa is shown as purely dark and evil · Light always stands for safety and truth · Darkness is used only for night scenes · Europe's 'light' proves to be dark as well
7. What does Marlow find most disturbing about Kurtz at the end?
   That he is physically very strong · That he refuses to speak to Marlow · That he has no restraint at all · That he is planning to escape to Europe
8. Who helps Marlow get his job with the Company?
   Kurtz, who writes to recommend him · His aunt, who has influence · The manager, an old friend · A sea captain he served under
9. Why is it important that Marlow never fully explains the 'horror'?
   The reader must face what it means · Conrad ran out of space to explain it · Marlow does not care about it · The horror is only Kurtz's illness
10. Why do many critics read the novella alongside Achebe's essay 'An Image of Africa'?
    Achebe praises its picture of Africans · Achebe wrote its original preface · Achebe proves Conrad never went to Africa · Achebe argues it dehumanises Africans

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Content note: the novella depicts colonial brutality and uses the racist language of its period; Chinua Achebe's 1975 critique is widely taught alongside it.

Original questions written for Pagine. Quotations are from the public-domain text.