There's always a sense of feeling lost. Marlow is a wanderer but also a sailor, so even though it may seem like he has a home, he will never be satisfied with just one place. Furthermore, Africa had not been explored yet, and judging from the vote we had the other day about who would actually travel to a place where no one has explored yet, we'd be resistant in going, partially because we're outside out comfort zone. One can't expect anything, and curiosity overwhelms Marlow with everything that's going on around him. He constantly wants to know what's happening around him and it seems to me like he can't get enough of it. However, the saying does go, "curiosity killed the cat."

-Jessica Lam, Cossick's 1°

Motifs? Darkness, fear, despair, compassion, lack of compassion, decay, corruption, incompetence, violence, insanity...

The only thing I wanted to note here is that most of Marlow's recurrently apparent traits are the exact opposite of what the other characters in the setting show. He shows a degree of compassion for the Natives, while almost all the other characters simply manipulate them. He came seeking curiosity and adventure, while it is unclear what exactly the other characters came to pursue. He shows no signs of being interested in material wealth, but as his description on page 126 shows, Kurtz seems to be. All in all he is continually shocked by just how horrible things turned out to be.

Oh, and the theme...

Though I've stated it before, I think the theme is that all humans, simply by human nature, are capable of great evil, and in times that evil has gone unchecked. It ties to World History and many of the most horrible events that have taken place, from war, to genocide, to rape. In itself this story portrays a single event, but because it ties to the darkness in all humans, it goes to further explain why such events take place. I think society's flaws can be traced to human nature...too commonly have we seen the exact same problems recreate themselves in entirely different settings, far away regions of the world. Because humans have a violent nature, because many humans find themselves prejudice and nationalistic, because humans have a natural tendency and a natural attraction to power, our world is still being torn down by the same forces that tore at it before, but because we have closer connections, better technology, and have reached a new age of capability, it is time we get into the heart of what we can do in response to human tendencies.

Motifs would be darkness, corruption, mournful, and despair.
Marlow is constantly surrounded an environment of darkness, and hatred. His curiosity drives him to go deeper into Africa, this is somewhat like the human mind eventually leading to corruption.
-David 1st period

A motif could be the reoccurring sense of feeling lost, although their river is the only source of "path" or map to follow, I feel that they never know where they're going. It could symbolize that the colonists never knew what they were getting into when they carved up Africa for their own luxurious pleasures (gold, silver, diamonds, rubber, raw goods, etc.)

Some motifs are decay, darkness, stagnancy, and selfishness. These morbid motifs are repeatedly pounded into the story, so that these ideas are implanted into our brains. These motifs suggest that human nature is responsible for the underlying evil found in us all. Human "darkness" is found in all of us, and Conrad reveals this theme to us by examining the human nature that is revealed in the characters exposed to the twisted African jungle. Everyone respects Kurtz and aspires to be like him, but Kurtz is selfish; he chooses to stay in the threatening jungle to squeeze out as much ivory as he can. The evilness in human nature is blinded from everyone, and when they get caught into this ivory-grubbing frenzy, it'll just be too late. They will be ensnared by the dark, thick jungle.

Definitely the darkness, decay, river, gloomy, death, the sense of being watched, and being locked in could be motifs for this novel.
I think these could be leading to Marlow and the crew will end up finding something gruesome after they reach the end, maybe.

Death and the constant threat of the unknown in the Congo serve as motifs. All that is bad in the human mind, such as fear, manifested in the river. There is no good or joy in the river. Traits that do exist in the Congo are fear, pain, sorrow, and greed, which is the instigator of all the other emotions. Lack of guidance on a hunt to find an elusive Kurtz forces Marlow to make decisions that affect the entire boat and its crew. The only known is the unknown.

-Andy 1st period

Some of the motifs that I've noticed are compassion, selfishness, darkness, confusion, and suppression. It all goes to show that human beings are capable of being virtuous and compassionate but are easily sidetracked towards greed and corruption; it is easier to do bad things than good.

-KatherineC. 1st period