In Joseph Conrad’s novel, Heart of Darkness, Mr. Kurtz’s true colors are exposed during his expedition to Africa. During the expedition, Mr. Kurtz was one of many men that fell victim to their own savage nature. Surprisingly, all that it took for him to go insane was a change in scenery and a different culture. Mr. Kurtz’s savage nature was hiding behind European society because he went crazy without the presence of European society. Mr. Kurtz eccentric behavior in Africa can be explained by the lack of pressure from society, in Africa, to behave appropriately. Africa is not uncivilized it is just different from what the Europeans know. Moreover, the presence of wilderness is confused by Europeans as the presence of an uncivilized society. …show more content…
Kurtz decent into madness are greed and power. His greed for ivory results in his power. Mr. Kurtz feeds off the power by creating a self-illusion what he is god-like exclaiming, “‘My intended, my ivory, my station, my river’” (Conrad 60). His god-like self-illusion contributes to his madness, as well as his exterior home decorations that consist of native skulls. Yet, Mr. Kurtz believes that the natives are the brutes. Of course, Mr. Kurtz sees the decorations of his home as reasonable because without them the natives would attack him. However, the use of skulls as decorations is not reasonable in any setting. Mr. Kurtz justification of the use of native skulls is evidence of his madness. More evidence of his madness is revealed when Marlow says, “his [Kurtz] soul was mad” (Conrad 83). It took Marlow until the conclusion of the novel to realize that the myth of Kurtz wasn’t true and that Kurtz was simply crazy. The myth is that the wilderness made Mr. Kurtz go crazy, but Kurtz was always crazy. The only men who lost it in Africa were the men who could not contain themselves. Self-restraint is the key to prevent for madness. Marlow recognizes this saying, “I saw the inconceivable mystery of a soul that knew no restraint, no faith, and no fear, yet struggling blindly with itself” (Conrad 83). Conrad coveys through his novel that madness is human nature and a lack of self-restraint is what causes
To Marlow, Kurtz was an evil force that represented horror of what people could easily
Kurtz was the chief of the Inner Station, where he was in charge of a very important ivory-trading post. Marlow learns that because of Kurtz’s ability to obtain more ivory than anybody else, he is of “greatest importance to the Company” and is to become a “somebody in the Administration” (Conrad 143). However, a critical aspect is the way in which he went about his business, as it was ruthless and selfish, characteristics that go hand-in-hand with European colonization.
Kurtz was an English man who traveled to the Congo in search of excitement, money and experience. To many people back home, he was known to be a loving intelligent young man. In Congo he was also known as being very intelligent, but also as being insane. The question is what happened to Kurtz how and why he let his self go insane. In a way you can say that he found the “heart” of his “darkness,” embraced it and could not escape it.
In German “kurtz” means short. What Kurtz actually says is plain and terse, but appalling. It is not hidden behind words, but revealed within Kurtz’s own voice and scribbled in margins. However, it is the voiceless words, the written words, the lies, and not the note scribbled by his own voice that Kurtz asks Marlow to preserve. By wanting to preserve his report, Kurtz acknowledges the power of written words. He knows that besides Marlow’s memory, writing is the only thing that can begin to immortalize him. But, perhaps, Kurtz’s knowledge is meant to die along with his voice.
In Joseph Conrad’s short story, “Heart of Darkness,” the narrator, Marlow language, and point of view to convey the conflicting emotions he has about Kurtz due to the image he fabricated Kurtz to be, and the reality of Kurtz. Marlow’s language throughout the piece reveals to the reader how he feels about Kurtz and how he perceives Kurtz’s actions. Marlow’s point of view also allows him to support both of his perceptions of Kurtz because he doesn’t see only bad or only good in
Marlow’s thoughts are so consumed by Kurtz, that he is built up to be much more of a man than he truly is. In turn, Marlow is setting himself up for a let down. He says at one point, “I seemed to see Kurtz for the first time...the lone white man turning his back suddenly on the headquarters, on relief, on thoughts of home...towards his empty and desolate station”(P.32). When Marlow reaches Kurtz’s station, he begins to become disillusioned. He begins to hear about, and even see, the acts that Kurtz is committing, and becomes afraid of him. He sees in Kurtz, what he could become, and wants nothing to do with it. He does not want people to know he has any type of relationship with him, and says in response to the Russian, “I suppose that it had not occurred to him that Mr. Kurtz was no idol of mine.” (P.59). It is at this point that he begins to discover the darkness in his heart.
Kurtz once was considered an honorable man, but living in the Congo separated from his own culture he changed greatly. In the jungle he discovers his evil side, secluded from the rest of his own society he becomes corrupted by power. "My Ivory. My people, my ivory, my station, my river," everything was under Kurtz's reign. While at Kurtz's camp Marlow encounters the broken roof on Kurtz's house, the "black hole," this is a sign of the uncivilized. The black hole represents the unknown and unconquered, and therefore represents the uncivilized. Also, Marlow notices the "black heads" on Kurt...
Because of his over bearing personality, the Africans begin to look to Kurtz as a sort of god, and he begins to work with the idea. Had this occurred in society, he would have been checked: “Kurtz, stop being so silly.” But! In the jungle no one is there to keep him within societal boundaries- and the immense power he has begins to take hold of him. Kurtz is folding further and further into himself. The perfect example of this is the pamphlet Kurtz wrote. It seems that, though his actions say differently, when he is in the act of writing- something he learned in the civilized world- he can still function. He can still perform the, what is considered a solely human, trait of consciously thinking about and considering his own actions. Even when he talks about the pamphlet- he knows he wrote something and that it was good and important. Finally however, he writes at the bottom, “exterminate the brutes,” and the old Kurtz is gone.
Kurtz loved her, and his heart went cold as she was separated from his life. This can be seen in the story at the conclusion in a dialogue between the intended and Marlow, where she asks Marlow what Kurtz's final words were. Marlow lies, not because of his friendship with Kurtz, but because he recognizes the importance of him to her (and vice versa). The change of Kurtz's personality is not solely because he is the antagonist, but because he is so self-conscious of his appearance that he allows society to overwhelm his character. Work Cited Conrad, Joseph.
When Marlow finally reaches Kurtz he is in declining health. This same jungle which he loved, embraced and consumed with every ounce of his flesh had also taken its toll on him. Marlow finally meets the man whose name has haunted him on his river journey. Could this frail human be the ever so powerful Kurtz? The man who has journeyed into uncharted territories and has come back with scores of ivory and the respect of the native tribe. Yes, this was the very man and though he is weak and on his way to death his power still exudes from him.
Just as Victor Frankenstein in the novel Frankenstein created a monster that was a manifestation of his inner turmoil and demons, so too Kurtz and Marlow’s journey into Africa is an unveiling of their inner darkness which we are all afraid to face. Like Grenouille, in Perfume and Victor Frankenstein, Kurtz sought power, adoration and godlike status both among his European counterparts and the native Africans. Just as Grenouille bottled and collected special fragrances so too Kurtz collected human heads displaying them around his hut as trophies. Kurtz’s journey into Africa, as well as his inner journey, can be likened to Grenouille’s hibernation in the cave for seven years or Victor’s search for his monster across the icy slopes. During this period each individual underwent a transformation and a realization of the horrors they have created.
The man we meet deep in the Congo isn't the same man. He isn't civilized or truly respectable anymore. At this point, he had gone mad. He had the heads of "rebels" (97) on posts around his house, staring at his home. "He [Kurtz] hated all this, and somehow he couldn't get away." (95) Kurtz had two opposing sensibilities. The one said that he should leave and return to civilization and his fiancée while escaping the sickness that seemed to pervade that jungle for all Europeans. The other sensibility was more basic. It was a growl for absolute power over the lives of the natives and also the material want for more ivory. He couldn't escape this hunger. Even at the end of his life when he has been carried onto the ship and is happy to leave, he tries to break away from this decision and return to the jungle.
...s to look at Kurtz as a hero for all that he had accomplished, no matter how evil. Marlow?s obstacles as the hero are not the overcoming of a dragon or evil villain. It is the eternal battle of the story of a Hero versus Antihero. Marlow?s blindness to Kurtz?s impurities are both his strength and weakness. His ignorance to the greatness of his own qualities can best be stated one way: ?The Horror.?
...il of desire, temptation, and surrender during that supreme moment of complete knowledge? He cried in a whisper at some image, at some vision,-he cried out twice, a cry that was no more that a breath- 'The horror! The horror!' "(Longman, 2000, p. 2240). This is what distinguishes the two men; Kurtz abandoned himself and went over the edge, but Marlow is aware of just how close he was to becoming what Kurtz was.
This sight angers Marlow, and when he gets to Kurtz, it’s too late. Even he has been pulled in by the darkness. Conrad makes an effective distinction between Marlow and Kurtz.