Henderson mentions—either directly or by inference—the many things that he wants. What are the most important of his desires? What seems to be at the heart of his yearning?

One could argue that Henderson is afflicted by a profound sense of boredom. Not only is he a millionaire, but he's a millionaire who's inherited all his wealth. This is a man who's never had to work for anything in his life; everything has been handed to him on a silver platter. To most people this may sound like very heaven, but Henderson feels a huge spiritual void deep inside his soul. He can have all the good things that money can buy, but the one thing he can't have is any lasting satisfaction. Henderson seeks meaning in his life, and as he can't have it in the United States, he must look for it elsewhere. That's why he heads off to Africa; he believes that by going there, he will make good the spiritual deficiencies of his shallow, well-heeled existence.
Like many rich Westerners who seek to "find" themselves in the far-flung corners of the developing world, Henderson is woefully ignorant of indigenous culture. His vision of Africa remains resolutely stuck in the past: romanticized, exoticized, and inhabited by "savages" and "children of darkness." In heading off to Africa, Henderson wants to live a more authentic life, to get closer to nature. But his cultural preconceptions and prejudices mean that he's unable to fulfill this goal, and by extension attain the satisfaction that his tired, worn-out soul so desperately craves.