GenreHeart of Darkness draws on several literary genres, including romance, tragedy, and colonial adventure. Romance narratives typically begin with characters being separated from each other, and the action of the story takes the form of a quest or an adventure that results in a rescue or other form of reunion. Likewise, Marlow’s journey begins with a quest to find and rescue Kurtz. Conrad’s novella also functions as symbolic narrative, which is also known as an allegory. In an allegory, surface details imply a secondary meaning. Decoding these secondary meanings provides the reader with a deeper understanding of the story. Plot and main character As the novella opens, five friends sit waiting for the tide to change on the Thames River so that they can head out to sea. They are used to telling one another stories. Marlow, the best storyteller of the group, begins a tale by saying, in reference to Britain, And this also ... has been one of the dark places of the earth. Much of the rest of the book is told from Marlow's perspective. While the European city and the African river, river basin, and country all remain unnamed in the novella, Conrad likely envisioned the story in Brussels, Belgium, and in the Congo. Marlow explains that he undertook the trip while working for a European business operation known simply as the Company, which was extracting ivory from the interior of Africa for profit. The Company hired Marlow in Europe and gave him the task Arriving at the Central Station, Marlow is surprised and disappointed to learn that his steamer is sunk at the bottom of the river three hours upstream. He meets the Central Station manager, the manager tells Marlow that the situation is very grave at the Inner Station. Marlow is told it will take three months to repair the ship and head to the Inner Station. As these days pass, Marlow concludes that the delays are likely intentional; the manager knows that Kurtz is ill and hopes he will die before Marlow reaches him.Although there is a brickmaker at the station, he had not made any bricks for a year due to the lack of some crucial material.