Importance of Defamiliarization in Conrad's Hear of Darkness

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Heart of Darkness: effective use of de-familiarization
De-familiarization refers to the curious use of linguistic elements to reshape familiar and commonplace objects and events and give them a new light and dimension (Mambrol). Joseph Conrad's novel "Heart of Darkness" is an example of de-familiarization to elaborate on the central themes of the story. This novel is a story of Marlow's journey to Congo as a captain of a steamboat of an ivory-trading trading company. Conrad exposes the dark aspects of imperialism and cruelty committed by rapacious and greedy European traders on the uncivilized natives in this novel. Furthermore, he identifies the presence of an invisible bond between physical entities and human beings. Thus, imperialism and universalism are the principal themes of the story. Conrad uses de-familiarization to impart uniqueness to characters and events. His description of incidents and personalities in the story endorses this fact.
For instance, in the first part, Marlow's encounter with the two women at the head office and his boat description with four interlocutors and the river Thames has been used effectively to remove the stamp commonality from these events. Likewise, the people he encounters during his journey to the central station and the events he experiences during the second part of the story bespeak Conrad's effective use of linguistic skills to turn people, and events upside down and present them in an unfamiliar way. Furthermore, Conrad's description of Kurtz is also very intriguing, and his craft and wordplay lend a symbolic significance to this character. Therefore, these aspects of the story are sufficient to conclude that Conrad would not have been able to project the central themes of the story without using de-familiarization, and this fact endorses the effectiveness of de-familiarization in the novel.
Marlow's story begins with his journey on the boat "Nellie," and his description of the passengers, the weather, and the river Thames lends a unique dimension to this seemingly commonplace event. The boat was still, and the wind was calm, and Marlow and the four passengers were sitting on the boat waiting for the turn of the tide. Unknown narrator's recount of the history of the use of the river Thames by invaders links his story to the theme of imperialism. The Elizabethan exploration and the Roman invasion link contemporary imperialism to a long string of invading armies. Similarly, he describes the interminable stretch of the river Thames that leads to the "uttermost end of the world" (Conrad 1). This description makes the river an entity inseparable from nature and terms it nothing but a continuum of nature. Marlow's further explanation reinforces this notion as it depicts the surroundings as "the sea and the sky are welded together like a joint" (Conrad 1). Thus, Conrad's description of the journey over the river Thames shifts it from a familiar story to a detailed account of the universality of nature and the historical timeline of imperialism.
Moreover, Marlow's description by the unknown narrator transforms Marlow from a boatman to a symbol of universality and oneness. The narrator describes him as having "sunken cheeks" and a "yellow complexion"(Conrad 1). He is sitting cross-legged and looks like a Buddha dressed in western clothes. The use of both eastern and western terminologies to describe Marlow imparts a universal dimension to his character. Conrad's art is at full play in this description and amazes the reader as from this portrayal; he could easily link a boatman to the universal theme of oneness.
Marlow encounters a fat woman and a slim woman, both working in Brussels's head office. Here again, Conrad turns this familiar and routine office event into a significant and deeply meaningful incident of the story. The two women are knitting black wool, and one is on a continuous move introducing people, and the fat woman is continuously sitting on the chair and scrutinizing people. This description of the two women transforms them from two office workers to a symbol of evil forces of imperialism. Their knitting of black wool signifies the dark side of imperialism and foretells the impending darkness of the forest where Marlow is going. Marlow considers them as "guardian of the door of darkness," and the choice of diction by Conrad such as "scrutinizing," "unconcerned old eyes" further infuse gloom and peril in their characters (Conrad 9). This example makes it clear how Conrad uses de-familiarization to project the main themes of the novel.
Marlow's journey towards the central station is one of the main events of the novel. This journey is rife with commonplace incidents, which Conrad's effective use of linguistic elements turn into the most significant and compelling ones. For instance, while climbing up a rock to reach the company's station, Marlow sees a capsized undersized railway track. It resembles an animal carcass, and one of its wheels is off, and this description of an ordinary object imparts a dramatic significance to it. This vehicle's resemblance with the animal body projects the theme of universality as this description links an inanimate object to an animate one.
Furthermore, the horrid details of the six black men provide ample opportunities for an insightful reader to understand the significance of the use of language for a deeper understanding of things. Their gait and demeanor make them look like living dead, and the waging of the short tails of their loincloths resembles that of animal tails. They are depicted as symbols of the cruelty of imperialism and their resemblance with animals...