While the unnamed narrator and his ship mates are sprawled out along the deck, Marlow, one of the narrator’s ship mates, begins to tell a story of his own adventures. Marlow's adventure begins in London, where he has recently returned from several years sailing in the East. While recuperating in London, he becomes restless and longs to travel somewhere he has never been. As he strolls about the city, he happens upon a map in a shop window depicting a place he has longed to visit, a region of the world that was still largely unknown to Europeans: the Congo. Though he is normally an ocean-going sailor, he longs to travel the Congo, a freshwater river, deep into the heart of this little-known land. When his attempts to secure a position on a boat with a company that trades on in the Congo go unfulfilled, he enlists the help of his aunt. Through her influential friends, Marlow secures a post as captain of a riverboat steamer, replacing a captain who had recently been killed by natives. Literally, the Congo River is the means by which the Europeans enter the region. It is also their main method of transportation. Marlow equates the river with a coiled snake. Thus, it is a symbol of danger; it lies in wait, ready to strike. It should be noted that Marlow's journey upriver, into the heart of the Congo, is a very time-consuming and arduous. This suggests that the journey into oneself is both a slow and difficult task.
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