Character map
Heart of Darkness
Vietnamese has no single word for "I" or "you". Speakers choose words according to age, rank and closeness. Each arrow in this diagram runs from speaker to listener. Its label gives the word the speaker uses for themselves, then the word they use for the other person.
graph TD
N1("Marlow") -->|"cháu -> dì"| N2("Aunt")
N3("Fresleven") -->|"tao -> mày"| N4("Native chief")
N5("Chief's son") -->|"tôi -> ông"| N3("Fresleven")
N1("Marlow") -->|"tôi -> ông"| N6("Doctor")
N6("Doctor") -->|"tôi -> anh"| N1("Marlow")
N1("Marlow") -->|"tôi -> anh"| N7("Swedish Captain")
N7("Swedish Captain") -->|"tôi -> anh"| N1("Marlow")
N1("Marlow") -->|"tôi -> anh"| N8("Chief Accountant")
N8("Chief Accountant") -->|"tôi -> anh"| N1("Marlow")
N1("Marlow") -->|"tôi -> ông"| N9("General Manager")
N9("General Manager") -->|"tôi -> anh"| N1("Marlow")
N1("Marlow") -->|"tôi -> anh"| N10("Brickmaker")
N10("Brickmaker") -->|"tôi -> anh"| N1("Marlow")
N1("Marlow") -->|"tôi -> anh"| N11("Boiler-maker")
N11("Boiler-maker") -->|"tôi -> anh"| N1("Marlow")
N12("Manager") -->|"cháu -> chú"| N13("Uncle")
N13("Uncle") -->|"chú -> cháu"| N12("Manager")
N14("Listener") -->|"tôi -> anh"| N1("Marlow")
N1("Marlow") -->|"tôi -> các anh"| N14("Listener")
N1("Marlow") -->|"tôi -> cậu"| N15("Helmsman")
N16("Headman") -->|"tôi -> ngài"| N1("Marlow")
N1("Marlow") -->|"tôi -> anh"| N16("Headman")
N17("Russian trader") -->|"tôi -> anh"| N1("Marlow")
N1("Marlow") -->|"tôi -> anh"| N17("Russian trader")
N17("Russian trader") -->|"tôi -> ngài"| N18("Kurtz")
N18("Kurtz") -->|"ta -> cậu"| N17("Russian trader")
N1("Marlow") -->|"tôi -> ông"| N18("Kurtz")
N18("Kurtz") -->|"tôi -> anh"| N1("Marlow")
N1("Marlow") -->|"tôi -> ông"| N19("Official")
N19("Official") -->|"tôi -> anh"| N1("Marlow")
N1("Marlow") -->|"tôi -> ông"| N20("Kurtz's cousin")
N20("Kurtz's cousin") -->|"tôi -> anh"| N1("Marlow")
N1("Marlow") -->|"tôi -> anh"| N21("Journalist")
N21("Journalist") -->|"tôi -> anh"| N1("Marlow")
N1("Marlow") -->|"tôi -> cô"| N22("The Intended")
N22("The Intended") -->|"tôi -> anh"| N1("Marlow")