1+1=?

With my focus being the lighting in "Heart of Darkness", I took some of the quotes that prove my theory of light representing knowledge, (Light=Knowledge). Knowledge is a funny thing because it can cause as much harm as it can bring benefits and Conrad shows this in his trademark metaphor-filled narration.
Marlow is telling the story of his life experiences and how they cast a light on himself, "No, not very clear. And yet it seemed to throw a kind of light"(70).
So, if Light=knowledge, then Light+ Journey= Discovery, in this case self-discovery, a complicated process that even in the situation that bring out your raw personality we aren't able to absorb a lot of it by fault of denial. Denial= -Light.
Marlow then makes an important connection, he states that when he was given the power to drive a steamboat he became an "emissary of light"(76). Marlow is a white man and by having the possibility of traveling he becomes light, he will obtain light as well as spread it through out traveling. The savages on the other hand, cannot absorb knowledge according to Marlow and his men. They are trapped in a primitive state of perpetuate ignorance that will be given the variable Darkness. White= Light. Savages= Darkness. Light + Darkness= 2Light. Light absorbs darkness.
Knowledge "Lighted up everything and collapsed"(90). Fire is light. Fire brought by the Belgians is used to destroy, it is uncontrollable and the savages don't know how to use it to their advantage to the extent of creating firearms like the colonizers.
Fire destroyed the hut and spread and conquered the savage race. Ligh x Light= Fire.
Fire + Darkness= Light.

PS:I searched "Conrad" on Google images and Lauren Conrad came up. Turns out she's a writer too.