This is an interesting question for a number of reasons,
the first being that "freedom" is not an automatically obvious theme contained within
this work that has so much to do with colonialism and moral corruption. Therefore in
responding to your question I will refer to freedom in the slightly different context of
self-knowledge, as becoming aware of yourself and your acts and what they have resulted
in is a form of freedom - a moment of self-realisation.
It
is easy therefore to discuss freedom in the context of one of the novel's major themes,
which is moral corruption. Arguably, this in itself encompasses many other themes such
as racism, loneliness and madness, because each of these result in the moral depravity
revealed by Kurtz and his acts in the "heart of darkness." It is clear through what we
are told in the novel that Kurtz has become depraved and lost all reason in his desire
to gain more ivory and rule. It is clear that internally he has given himself over to
evil and acts of horrendous cruelty and violence. Conrad suggests that this moral
failure is both a result of the setting - the isolation and loneliness away from
"civilization", but also the fact that in all of us these evil instincts are waiting for
an opportunity to emerge. It is never clear, but one key moment of freedom could be when
Kurtz on his death-bed is given the insight to see what he has become as he utters the
famous lines "The horror! The horror!"
Self-realisation and
freedom is not limited just to Kurtz, however, as Marlow has a similar moment of freedom
when he realises that he is capable of descending to the same depths of Kurtz because of
his own innate propensity to commit terrible acts.
Freedom,
therefore, whilst not necessarily being the most obvious theme, can be fruitfully
discussed through the analysis of self-revelation and moments of epiphany such as those
experienced by Kurtz and Marlow.
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