In Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, how can Marlow's ironic rendering of an experience he had 20 years earlier be seen as a means to make amends...

Throughout Heart of Darkness, Marlow can be seen as immature or naive. He searches for wealth and adventure in the jungle, unaware of the danger and corruption of the ivory trade because he is blinded by greed. Marlow's coming-of-age experiences occur in the jungle, where he sees the death of slaves, the death of Kurtz, and the savage nature of the natives. Upon his return to London, Marlow matures and escapes the suffocating darkness of the jungle and the ivory trade. 

There is situational irony present in the telling of Marlow's tale, however. Marlow is aboard a ship like the one he originally took to Africa, surrounded by the dark pollution of London. The fragmented nature of his story, peppered with flashbacks and moments from the present, suggests Marlow has been negatively affected by his experiences. He is a haggard man with a troubled past, and his repetition of phrases makes him seem mentally affected as well. Marlow's rendering of the story is a testament to the darkness he experienced. It serves as a warning to others and an amendment for his own previous naivety as he works to remove that same naivety in the next generation of sailors and explorers.