Joseph Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness' follows the journey of Charles Marlow, a sailor who becomes captain of a river steamboat for an ivory trading company in Africa. The novella critiques European colonial rule in Africa, examining power dynamics and morality. Marlow is fascinated by Kurtz, a prolific ivory trader who has "gone native" and is the object of his expedition. He also encounters critically ill Africans working on the railroad and meets the company's chief accountant who predicts that Kurtz will go far. This novel remains a classic work on imperialism, racism, and the human psyche.