Question

We were wanderers on a prehistoric earth, on an earth that wore the aspect of an unknown planet. We could have fancied ourselves the first of men taking possession of an accursed inheritance, to be subdued at the cost of profound anguish and of excessive toil.



–Heart of Darkness,
Joseph Conrad

According to the narrator, what would be the negative outcomes of "taking possession” of the land?

“wanderers on a prehistoric earth”
“the aspect of an unknown planet”
“an accursed inheritance”
“profound anguish and . . . excessive toil”

Answer 1

Briefly: the narrator says that “taking possession” would mean inheriting a hostile, alien place and suffering for it—physical and psychic torment, relentless labor, and a kind of cursed legacy that taints the taker.

Linked to the phrases
- “wanderers on a prehistoric earth” — being out of place and disoriented; isolation and vulnerability in a world that does not belong to you.
- “the aspect of an unknown planet” — the land is alien and incomprehensible, hostile and unpredictable; you cannot easily master or understand it.
- “an accursed inheritance” — the territory is a burden or curse, not a blessing; possession brings doom or moral taint rather than prosperity.
- “profound anguish and . . . excessive toil” — the concrete consequences: deep suffering (physical and psychological) and endless, exhausting labor required to subdue the land.

Overall implication: to possess the land is to submit to hardship, alienation, and a morally troubling, burdensome fate rather than to gain wealth or happiness.