Heart of Darkness #4

The next section of HOD focuses on the journey to Inner Station. There is a strong comparison between it and the men possibly becoming cursed after obtaining ivory. Visually, the men are on small steamboat on river, surrounded by hundreds of trees. The forest could easily consume them. Likewise after the men get the ivory, the power of it could overcome them.

There is also a large focus on restraint in this section. As the ship heads towards the Inner Station, pilgrims and cannibals onboard. Originally they'd been waiting to depart the Central Station without a purpose, but that’s not very important to note. What is important is Marlow's admiration for the cannibals and their self-restraint in not eating people on the ship. There isn't a clear reason as to why they don't eat them; the cannibals are just "nice". Marlow very much admires them for this.

Additionally in HOD we, the reader, realize the amount of restraint in the Natives and Marlow have and the minute amount in the Europeans. When the men begin to hear screams from the mist ahead they begin to freak out. They cannot see through the thickness of the mist that is hiding the darkness. (Hello symbolism!) Marlow has restraint himself in not thinking they will be attacked, although he soon finds out that’s not true. He is very static and remains calm in difficult situations, similarly to the Natives. The men on the other hand cannot keep their composure when the ship is attacked.