As Nina completed a writing exercise on foreshadowing, this prompted today's discussion based on Nina's questions as to possible plot and theme outcomes. While the darkness motif clearly suggests a pessimistic view and outcome, Nina raised specific questions about Kurtz ' motivations and death. We examined how Kurtz may have become obsessed with ivory and wealth and in its pursuit exploited the native populations he initially intended to assist . The role of the crew of cannibals also aroused Nina's curiosity. In this regard, I discussed the motif of restraint noting how the cannibals can exercise self-restraint (by not consuming the crew for dinner) even without societal pressure and laws in contrast to Kurtz and the Europeans who in the isolation of the jungle devolve quickly in the absence of external restraints. Thematically, based on the foreshadowing , we entertained ideas of the novel's theme: What lies at the heart of Man's nature, darkness as the title proclaims ,or perhaps nothing which is perhaps worse. We further recognized the racist undertones in Conrad's descriptions of the non-white crew.