The style, technique and structure of Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad's short story Heart of Darkness is proof that a novel doesn't have to be long I deserve to have literary success. Heart of Darkness is quite short, but intriguing, due to the content of the novel. Much like Shakespeare's Hamlet, Heart of Darkness overwhelms the reader with the power of the story so much so that one will never feel entirely satisfied with its attempts to intellectualize the experience (Adelman 8). Heart of Darkness was written during the time of British imperialism and the extreme exploitation of Africans in the Congo. The English exploited Africans in an attempt to extract ivory from the primitive jungle. Throughout the novel, Conrad expresses his antipathy towards "civilized" whites who exploit "savage" black Africans. Conrad also uses several literary devices in his writing to portray and express different messages. The writing style, techniques, structure, and themes of Heart of Darkness combine to create one of the most famous, respected, and mysterious novels of all time. Conrad has written a definitive puzzle for readers to interpret and critically analyze for years to come. The excellence of Conrad's style is highly controversial; some believe he is "a literary genius" (Adelman 16), while others "criticize him for being limited, pretentious, and vague" ((Adelman 16). Throughout the novel, Conrad uses extensive amounts of descriptive language, vivid imagery, and symbolism powerful. The vague part is that it leaves the interpretation of its mysterious and "unspeakable" puzzles to the reader. Conrad's descriptive language in Heart of Darkness is present from beginning to end. xperience" (Adelman 8). Overall, readers must interpret for themselves what meanings Conrad intended or whether he intended all meanings. This profound novel by Joseph Conrad is not an easy read but it is valuable knowledge once read. Works Cited Adelman , Heart of Darkness: Search for the Unconscious Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1987. Anthony. Open Guides to Literature: Heart of Darkness Philadelphia: Open University Press, 1989. Glassman, Peter J. Language and Being: Joseph Conrad and the Literature of Personality . New York and London: Columbia: University Press, 1976. Tindall, W.Y. “Marlow's Duty.” In Heart of Darkness and Conrad's Criticism. Ed. Bruce Harness. Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing Company Inc., 1968.