Heart of Darkness A lie is an untruth. It can be a false statement or a statement left unsaid which causes someone to be misled. In life lies are told for many different reasons. In fiction they thicken the plot. In Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Marlow dislikes lies and therefore only tells two, both in extraordinary circumstances, and the lies show the following about Marlow: even though he has been touched by evil, he is …showed first 75 words of 757 total…

…showed last 75 words of 757 total…continue to believe that. Since he never actually vocalized a lie, he was better able to justify them to himself. Marlow dislikes lies, and only tells them in extraordinary circumstances. When he does lie, it is for the sake of others, not himself. This shows that he is a kind human being. It is unfortunate that all lies are not told with such noble purpose. The world would be a better place if they were.