Joseph Conrad, like many authors, used his own experiences for the basis of his novels. Specifically, Conrad’s journey on the Congo River as captain of a West African river steamer formed the basis for his novel . In this novel, the narrator of the story, Marlow, Conrad's protagonist, travels up the Congo in search of Kurtz, an ivory trader, and eventually ends up in the “.” Conrad also used his pessimistic view of life for the basis of . Conrad’s fatalistic attitude is evident when he explained to his friend R. B. Cunninghame Graham: ....