To start, I would just like to say Heart of Darkness is by far the most challenging novel to understand that I have ever come across. Before starting, I thought that it was the complexity of the grammar that would confuse me. Surprisingly, grammar has not yet played a role in my confusion . What confuses me most is the way the story is written. I have never read something written in such an odd style. I’m guessing this style could have been popular when Joseph Conrad wrote the novel, but it is definitely not something I am used to. As I have gotten further in the novel, I am enjoying it more.  I would almost say I understand it, to a degree of course. I am terrible at noticing symbolism, and now that I know Heart of Darkness is full of it, I find myself looking for it in every word. The search for symbolism is driving me crazy, all because I know it is there. I understand the black/white concept, but I know there is much more to this book then I will ever comprehend. I picture it as an ongoing assignment that never really gets finished. That’s all so far!