Whited Sepulchre

“…a city that always reminded me of a whited sepulchre.” (pg. 11)

The definition of “a whited sepulchre” is a person who is inwardly evil but outwardly professes to be virtuous. It seems that, although the city is being described, the metaphor could be referencing the Company that is based out of the city. There are multiple times in the story where Conrad describes the Company in vague detail, but in this instance, the reader is made aware of the Company's true malevolent nature. At this point, the reader is familiar with Marlow’s boyhood dreams of exploration, so when the opportunity is presented to him, it seems normal for him to be intrigued. The Company presents itself to Marlow with a righteous exterior intending to lure him in, but it is not until later, when he is immersed in the dangers of the Congo, that he realizes the Company’s “inward evil.”

"Whited sepulchre - definition of whited sepulchre by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia." The Free Dictionary. Web. 12 Aug. 2009. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/whited+sepulchre