Heart of Darkness- Reaction to the novel

This book is, I'd say, approximately 2.39 times as dense as the jungle it describes. I am sorry, but as good as the message is, the book is a little boring. I think we can all admit that. Not one of the most likable books I've read this year, though it definitely allows for in depth complicated analysis. As a result of this depth I am glad the book was not longer otherwise it would take way too long to completely decode. Even now I'm not quite sure I've got every little detail down. Okay, I likely don't get most of the little details and about a fifth of the big details. Still, it carries a good general overall message.

While I don't believe that everyone in the world can end up as maniacal and demented as Kurtz after a few months/years/seconds in some terrible place, I do believe that everyone has some degree of darkness within them that can manifest itself under the proper conditions. By this I mean that everyone has at least some part of them that when it comes out makes them at the very least a little cranky. Nobody's perfect, and everyone's got something in them that allows for grudge-holding, general irritation, and that urge to be a mischievous little bugger and do things that drive everyone else nuts. Others can be a little more severe and head genocides, harsh dictatorships, and even try to bring about the end of the world, but usually things aren't as bad as that. Look around the world. No, correction, look up the rest of the world via Internet, don't endanger yourselves by traveling the world, please don't. If you check, you will see that there are many places where crimes against humanity are committed, governments are corrupt, and crime soars. There might even be some examples here at home. Extreme examples, at least, the small ones are common everywhere. Darkness can be symbolic of any amount of hate towards other people, any will to do wrong to them. All people have it, whether they'd like to admit it or not.

Now, the one thing not mentioned in the book is the fact that all people have light in them as well. All people, even the most corrupt ones. Everyone has some degree of light, not necessarily proportional to the darkness. There is no secret formula to calculate it, all you need to know is that it's there somehow in some amount. All around the world, you hear those random acts of kindness? That's the light in people. Ebenezer Scrooge is a prime example of that light, and goes from being a complete @#$%@ to a kind and generous person under the proper circumstances. (i.e., being threatened by three spiritual beings) All people can become corrupted, but can also return to goodness. If they make a good effort. Heart of Darkness stresses that darkness is a cliff of no return, but in reality there is hope. Of course, it's a slim hope if you've really gone over the edge and are unwilling to change at heart. Scrooge changed because he was chicken and because he really didn't want to die, yet Kurtz perished due to the fact that he really would have just gone back to his old ways and he knew it. He chose to remain and die in darkness. One has to choose for himself. Or herself, my bad. And the choice must be made quickly, and definitely, because change can be exceedingly difficult. All people have that choice, and must choose wisely.

P.S. I can see this coming from a while away, NO comments on how Scrooge's name is spelled if it's wrong above.