How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #76
"A grand piano stood massively in a corner, with dark gleams on the flat surfaces like a somber and polished sarcophagus." (3.52)
Hello, paradox! The piano's surfaces are full of "dark gleams," a sinister oxymoron that has us scratching our heads a bit. The piano reminds Marlow of a "polished sarcophagus," a repository for the dead. We're guessing that pretty much everything reminds Marlow of death now.
Quote #77
"She [the Intended] came forward, all in black, with a pale head, floating towards me in the dusk. She was in mourning…The room seemed to have grown darker, as if all the sad light of the cloudy evening had taken refuge on her forehead. This fair hair, this pale visage, this pure brow, seemed surrounded by an ashy halo from which the dark eyes looked out at me. Their glance was guileless, profound, confident, and trustful." (3.52)
Whew. Now we're back on solid ground: the shining brow and hair of the fair girl indicates her goodness and purity while the darkness represents her sorrow. Right? Right??
Quote #78
"'You knew him best,' I repeated. And perhaps she did. But with every word spoken the room was growing darker, and only her forehead, smooth and white, remained illumined by the unextinguishable light of belief and love." (3.56)
As the Intended doubles down on her lies, the darkness grows. We're pretty sure it's a metaphorical darkness.