Reason for the journey in Heart of Darkness and Jasmine In Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee, the physical journey is the setting for the psychological journey that both main characters undertake. Each stage of the journey is related to an emotional deepening, and the implications are so great as to bring about a change in the lives of the protagonists. Through the discovery of distant lands and foreign ideas, Marlow and Jasmine are forced to look within themselves to find the answers to their questions. Their struggles are personal and they are guided by different guiding forces, but they both experience a greater sense of self-awareness at the end of their journey. Initially, Marlow and Jasmine embark on physical journeys that involve movement on water. Marlow's fascination with the Congo River drives him to set out in search of the unknown, to satisfy his desire to explore the "empty spaces" of the map (Conrad 5). Marlow first crosses the Channel to Brussels, a city that elicits the image of a "whitewashed tomb" (7), which serves as a harbinger of the events that are about to unfold. The city and the workings of commercial society appear benevolent on the surface, but deep within lies darkness and corruption. Jasmine's journey begins in quite different circumstances. He also crosses the ocean in search of a new and mysterious land, but for a very unique reason. Leaving Jyoti behind, Jasmine takes a long and indirect road to Florida, where she intends to throw herself on a funeral pyre in the custom of a traditional Indian widow. The further Marlow and Jasmine move away from home, the more alienated they feel from the world and the people around them. Looking at the coas... at the center of the card... the face in life. Both novels address the influences that guide us through our spiritual lives and how they potentially influence our decisions and choices. Marlow does not reach this understanding until he leaves a place of modernity and travels "back to the dawn of the world" (30), returning to Europe at the end of his journey a changed man. In contrast, Jasmine is able to progress emotionally and achieve personal fulfillment once she leaves antiquated Indian society for the United States. The ambiguity of Heart of Darkness and Jasmine accurately reflects the fluid and unpredictable nature of our own existence and the adversities we must overcome on our journey through life. Works Cited Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. 1902. New York: Dover Publications Inc., 1990. Mukherjee, Bharati. Jasmine. 1989. New York: Ballantine Books, 1991.