Comparing Things Fall Apart And Heart Of Darkness

Throughout the first two parts of Joseph Conrad's book, Heart of Darkness, the character Kurtz is built up to be this amazing and remarkable man. In the third book, however, we learn the truth about who Kurtz really is. Kurtz cries out in a whisper, "The horror! The horror!"(p. 86), and in only two words he manages to sum up the realization of all the horrors of his life during his time in the Congo.

Although Kurtz was alone, that loneliness helped him in the end. Through isolation, Kurtz was able to see who he really was. The main place where Kurtz finds himself is on his deathbed. Marlow says, ‘"But the wilderness had found him out early, and had taken on him a terrible vengeance for the fantastic invasion. I think it had whispered to him things about himself which he did not know, things of which he had no conception till he took counsel with this great solitude-and the whisper had proved irresistibly fascinating’"(Conrad 57). Marlow is saying that since Kurtz has been in the wilderness,

He believed in love, but he did not hesitate to kill. He welcomed Marlow to his station, but there were severed heads outside of it. Kurtz’s scattered personality was related to his madness and demonstrated to the reader the theme of evil in men as it showed that any man is capable of any action.

Heart of Darkness, a greatly revered piece of literature for its condemnation of imperialism written by Joseph Conrad, has a lot of symbolism throughout it. One of the most important symbols that is a recurring theme is the darkness and what it represents. For Kurtz, a character that gets carried away by greed, the darkness would represent all the unspoken deeds he was able to commit in the Congo without the eyes of civilization watching him.

Darkness, one being the remarkable civilized man of London, and the other being the cannibalistic madman of the Congo. Kurtz’s soon realizes he favors the madman over the civilized man do to the acts of wild treachery and free restraint. Marlow then showcases curiosity with Kurtz because he seems to understand the certainty of what true freedom feels like. Although Marlow’s physical journey begins with him traveling the snake-like Congo, his mental journey becomes more understandable and transparent when he realizes the heart of uncertainty is what a person beholds their entire life. He soon starts to question the civilized ways and how one’s spirit is consumed with restraint and doubt, and if this is the true question everyone tries to solve

Heart of Darkness is a book that not only explores the colonization and the influence it has upon people, it explores the nature of evil as well. Evil in the Heart of Darkness has an inner world and an outer world, a broader aspect of it and a narrower one. Kurtz is the personification of evil in the book, for that he possess both the inner and outer world of evil.

When Kurtz was removed from his natural habitat, the Congo, his health progressively decreased. Conrad’s novel, Heart of Darkness, provides many supporting details about when man is trapped in the love and emotional connection with something and how it can destroy one’s life. In his novel, Conrad uses the literary elements of conflict, characterization, and setting to show that the obsession over something can destroy anyone's life. The literary element

“There was a glimpse of rush walls, a burst of yells, a whirl of black limbs, a mass of hands clapping, of eyes rolling under the droop of heavy and motionless foliage.” (Conrad 52) In this novel, Joseph Conrad illustrates the complexity of men and their inner beings. He elucidates how men can look serene on the outside, when on the inside they are vicious. A man with the name of Kurtz is a good representation of this savagery. In the beginning of the book, he appears to be a well put together man. He has a fiancé, his writings, and his reputation. Throughout the book his greed and ambition take over. He is raiding village after village, and making alliances with the enemy. In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad shows how living outside

However, he does take action to escape his own darkness. Marlow is able to convince Kurtz to come with him, and he allows himself to be led back to civilization, away from the ‘heart of darkness.’ He could’ve chosen to stay or been rescued by the natives, but leaving his own darkness behind is perhaps the basis of Marlow’s respect to his memory (Swisher, 82). This is what makes Kurtz remarkable, he lived in darkness but also chose to leave it; he’s inexplicably able to make this his final and remarkable victory (Swisher, 84). In the end Kurtz, much like Dorian, sees his own portrait; a reflection of sins and darkness staring back at him. And as he takes his last breath and sees all that he’s done, the portrait of the man he’ll be in death, all he can bring himself to say is ‘The horror! The horror!’ (Conrad, 69). These final words have been interpreted time and time again by critics. Marlow has, however, his own interpretation. He sees his last words as a confession, an attempt at self-purification (Swisher, 85). Ian Watt says that ‘The horror is seen as a verdict and the main object of Kurtz’s condemnation is surely he and what he has done’ (Adelman,

(Conrad 312) From the first time Marlow is told of Kurtz, he has somewhat of a fascination with him. Marlow has a sense of anticipation to meet Kurtz and form his own constructed opinion on him due to all the conflicting rumors he hears about Kurtz. The chief of the inner station describes Kurtz as "an emissary of pity, and science and progress, and devil knows what else" making Marlow even more curious to meet Kurtz. (Conrad 317) Kurtz started out with the hopes of doing good but in the end spiraled and his motives turned into pure evil.

In the Heart of Darkness, Conrad expands upon the understanding and complexities of the id, ego, and superego within the characters of Marlow and Kurtz, and a journey of self-discovery is unveiled through Conrad’s portrayal of Marlow and Kurtz’s psyches. The uses of diction and characterization aid Conrad in guiding the characters from each level of the psyche - the impulsiveness, the reality, and the superior wisdom of the id, ego, and superego.

Kurtz’s identity is largely kept hidden for most of the book. Small insignificant pieces of information are trickled throughout the book until Marlow finally meets Kurtz. Details such as his genius or his ability to acquire ivory do not surmount the corruption and darkness within his heart

Marlow’s journey into the unknown is predominantly in search of the idealism of meeting Kurtz. Before we finally encounter Kurtz in the story, an admirable reputation of him and all he represents is formed. Marlow is so fixated on the wisdom and greatness of the man that he becomes more of a God than a person. He is a representation of darkness and is the focal point of the play to some degree. He is a personification of his surroundings, part of the African earth, an ominous shape in the foliage of trees. Kurtz and Marlow are the only two characters named in the entire story, which places emphasis on them and distinctly dehumanises the other characters in the story. Conrad amplifies Kurtz’s significance through waiting to the third chapter to finally reveal him to Marlow and the audience. We feel as we have earnestly waited for an eternity to finally meet him. His entrance on a stretcher carried by the African natives is an image of significant connotation. He is described initially by Marlow as “an insoluble probability”. He

How is Mr. Kurtz represented in the “Heart of darkness?” Justify your answer with the text Heart of Darkness is the story told by a character name Marlow about his journey into the central part of Congo as a steam boat captain. More than half of the novel talks about a person called Kurtz so he seems to be an important person. But the character of Mr. Kurtz is hard to describe as some of his character portrays him as a person with cruel heart and at the same time he is a person who is appreciated by all.

     Even from the beginning, Kurtz was made out to be an icon, an idol. To Marlow, he was the only thing that made sense in the company, on a journey, in a wilderness full of confusion. The