A narrator aboard a yacht hears Marlow’s story of captaining a steamboat in Africa. Securing the job through his aunt, Marlow encounters corrupt agents and learns of Kurtz, a revered yet ruthless ivory trader. After months of delays, Marlow journeys upriver, facing attacks and discovering Kurtz’s brutal rule over natives who worship him. Kurtz, gravely ill, is taken aboard the steamer. Before dying, he declares, “The horror! The horror!” Back in Europe, Marlow meets Kurtz’s fiancée and lies about his last words, shielding her from the grim truth. The story ends with a reflection on humanity’s inherent darkness.