Studying a book as complicated as Heart of Darkness can leave you overwhelmed with choices. How to respond to the classism, racism, and psychosis discussed in the book is just one of those choices. Another choice is which theory to use to understand the deeper meaning of the book. The modern student reading this book might be moved toward a Marxist or feminist response; the most perceptive might decide that psychoanalysis is best. Using any of these theories would be impossible without a clear understanding of the language used in the book and how it has changed over time, thereby altering how the book is interpreted through the other three theories studied in this course. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get an Original EssayLooking at Heart of Darkness beyond what is simply said, the language takes on a new aspect. The differences lie in the connotation and denotation of certain words in the text, which change over time. For example, the word “wild” is used in one form or another throughout the text. The denotation, the literal meaning of the word (Fromkin 473) is fierce, ferocious, cruel, untamed, uncivilized, etc. (The Merriam-Webster Dictionary). It comes from the Latin word “silva” and evolved over time to become the Middle English word we know today (Harper). However, the connotation – the implied meaning of the word (Fromkin 473) – in Heart of Darkness is quite the opposite. Conrad implies freedom and innocence in his use of the word “savage” in various places in the text. In the first part of Heart of Darkness, the word "savage" is mainly used to describe England as it must have appeared to the most "civilized" people. “The Romans during their invasion (Conrad). It implies a scary and dark place, full of violent customs and at the same time, it is also used to describe mystery and wonder. “Here he is before you – smiling, sullen, inviting, grandiose, wicked, tasteless or wild, and always silent with a whispering look, 'come and find out'. » (Conrad 20). The word “wild” in this case is used to imply an untamed, untouched and liberating place; an innocence reminiscent of creation and what the world must have looked like to early man as he moved from place to place. Taken in context in several places in this book, the savage has an air of innocence, of freedom that the more civilized white man lacks. “at the same time I noticed that the crowd of savages disappeared without any perceptible movement of retreat, as if the forest which had so suddenly expelled these beings had attracted them again…” (Conrad 84). The natives were cruel, violent, and indomitable in the eyes of the company Marlow worked for, but Marlow saw them as part of the world around them. Indeed, he saw in them a grace, an innocent majesty and a freedom that he, as a member of a civilized society, could not achieve. Marlow mentions having to refrain from joining them in their dance and abandoning his position, he mentions their beauty and emotional freedom, and he mentions the unnaturalness of the "civilized" clothing and manners that the company imposed on the native employees, declaring that they are “improved savages” (Conrad 52) and yet manages to imply that improvement was not necessary in the first place. In fact, he almost expressed a desire to be able to reach the heights of savagery that these people had reached, and thus become free to express his true emotions without the constraints of civilization binding him. Psychoanalysis of the same word.