Joseph Conrad's classic tale Heart of Darkness has remained of vital import to Western literature thanks to Conrad's ability to weave a tapestry of symbolism within a masterfully written tale of adventure. Charles Marlow, the main character of the novel, unearths corruption in the Victorian era of colonization and searches for its causes in his Congo travels. Heart of Darkness urges the reader to explore the duality of light and darkness in all of its many forms, literal and allegorical, including those shadows that exist within each human heart.