Similarly, Conrad’S Heart Of Darkness Explorers An Actual

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,

Joseph Conrad's novella, Heart of Darkness, describes a life-altering journey that the protagonist, Marlow, experiences in the African Congo.  The story explores the historical period of colonialism in Africa to exemplify Marlow's struggles.  Marlow, like other Europeans of his time, is brought up to believe certain things about colonialism, but his views change as he experiences colonialism first hand. This essay will explore Marlow's view of colonialism, which is shaped through his experiences and also from his relation to Kurtz.  Marlow's understanding of Kurtz's experiences show him the effects colonialism can have on a man's soul.

Joseph Conrad uses charazation in the novella Heart of Darkness to show how appalling imperialism truly is. Characters such as Kurtz, the accountant, and the pilgrims plays bigger role than just existing for Marlow’s story. The biggest character in the novella other than Marlow is Kurtz. Kurtz represents a wide variety of different things. He is the perfect example of the insanity imperialism can breed in people. He displays what horrors of imperialism can turn people into. From the second Marlow gets to the Congo everyone admires and

Kurtz’s lack of restraint and hunger for ivory consumes not only his soul but drains all of his physical existence. Upon seeing him, Marlow states, “I could see the cage of his ribs all astir, the bones of his arm waving (126)”. Conrad focuses on the physical features of Kurtz to display the madness that has consumed him. However, though Kurtz’s body is deteriorating, Kurtz’s mind continues to thrive. Conrad shows this in Marlow’s shock of witnessing a flame of passion that remains in Kurtz’s eyes as he converses without signs of exhaustion (126). Conrad continues to describe Kurtz as a shadow composed of tranquility and satisfaction. Conrad’s incorporation of this detail signifies the evil and greed that consumes Kurtz and is reflected through his physique. However, the power of Kurtz’s presence is personified through the action of his words. As the strength in his voice captures Marlow’s attention, it merely reflects his influence upon his followers. The power reflected through his voice displayed his confidence as well as his position as a leader for the natives. Hi demeanor displays an air of arrogance that makes others feel less equal to him. Those who follow him fear him, but also continue to respect him.

There is an abundance of literature in which characters become caught between colliding cultures. Often, these characters experience a period of growth from their exposure to a culture that’s dissimilar to their own. Such is the case with Marlow, Joseph Conrad’s infamous protagonist from ‘Heart of Darkness’. Marlow sets off to Africa on an ivory conquest and promptly found himself sailing into the heart of the Congo River. Along the way he is faced with disgruntled natives, cannibals, and the ominous and foreboding landscape. Marlow’s response to these tribulations is an introspective one, in which he calls into question his identity. This transcending of his former self renders the work as a whole a

Darkness is a major theme in The Heart of Darkness. Kurtz is unaware of his own darkness which leads to his downfall. He cannot see what kind of person he has become and how the darkness of the jungle has completely taken over him. The jungle is so secluded and mysterious that it actually influences Kurtz’s bad behavior. Kurtz becomes greedy and powerful but never realizes that this behavior is bringing him down until he is on the verge of death. Kurtz last words, “The horror! The horror!”(63) show Kurtz’s realization that the darkness had consumed him. Kurtz himself is one of the biggest examples of darkness in this book.

     Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is a novel about a man named Marlow and his journey into the depths of the African Congo. Marlow is in search of a man named Kurtz, an ivory trader. Though Marlow?s physical journey seems rather simple, it takes him further into his own heart and soul than into the Congo. The setting, symbols and characters each contain light and dark images, these images shape the central theme of the novel.

In Joseph Conrad’s novel, Heart of Darkness, he uses Kurtz as an example of what happens when you are exposed to the unconscious. Throughout the novel, Marlow has been hearing little bits of information about Kurtz and his accomplishments. Yet at the end of the novel, we learn that Kurtz has gone practically insane, shattering the illusion of grandeur that Marlow was expecting. Kurtz’s last words were “The horror! The horror!”, which may have been said in madness, was one of the clearest epiphanies that Kurtz had.

According to the story of “Heart of Darkness” by Conrad, to describe, Krutz is characterized by an brilliant agent of the company and he is the manager for an inland trading station in the Belgian Congo, due to his genius and he seize large amounts of ivory to hidden in the interior of Africa for the country. For this purpose, Krutz is not to be left to it for own enjoinment, but it was dedicated for the imperial rulers. So they could remember him and record him in the history. For here, Kurtz actually has entered the symbolic level by the moral law of the right and restrict the freedom in the society.

Marlow tells us about the Ivory that Kurtz kept as his own, and that he had no restraint, and was  " a tree swayed by the wind” (Conrad, 209). Marlow mentions the human heads displayed on posts that “showed that Mr. Kurtz lacked restraint in the gratification of his various lusts” (Conrad, 220). Conrad also tells us "his... nerves went wrong, and caused him to preside at certain midnight dances ending with unspeakable rights, which... were offered up to him” (Conrad, 208), meaning that Kurtz went insane and allowed himself to be worshipped as a god. It appears that while Kurtz had been isolated from his culture, he had become corrupted by this violent native culture, and allowed his evil side to control him.

The evil Kurtz showed directly symbolized that of society. Kurtz was a god-like figure that changed throughout the story. Through madness symbolized by illness, Kurtz changed from protagonist to antagonist quickly. He was the dynamic character of Heart of Darkness. Not only was he a dynamic character, but he was a round character, a foil, a stereotype and a symbol.

“Oh, but I will wring your heart yet!” cried Kurtz one day on the homeward journey as he looked searchingly at the African jungle. Kurtz wished to “exterminate the brutes.” Ironically, however, Kurtz claimed to be on a mission of civilizing according to his report on the “Suppression of Savage Customs.” Marlow’s description of the conflict which arose as his steamboat left the port towards home also rings of irony. In order to scare away the natives and not arouse trouble, Marlow blows the whistle of his steamboat. Despite the needlessness of the action, his men then begin to fire away at the already scattered tribesman. Not only is the action needless but worthless as the men end up unable to see where they are shooting do to the smoky blind that fixes itself between the two groups. This show of irony points at the heart of darkness found, ironically, in the people sent to tame the supposed heart of darkness. The most famous irony in Conrad’s novel originates around Kurtz’s famous last words, “The horror! The horror!” and Marlow’s ultimate reaction to them. Marlow ponders these final words for the remaining time of his return journey. He declared, “This is the reason why I affirm that Kurtz was a remarkable man. He had something to say. He said it.” Although Marlow believes that Kurtz said something great, Kurtz did not really say anything of substance. His final cry was a cry of despair at the emptiness and blackness of his soul, the lack of redemption. Ironically, Kurtz’s “something” was really the lack of something. Conrad used these ironies to forge a jolt to the reader’s mind, forcing them to look within themselves at their own ironical

“The horror, the horror” were the chilling words that preceded the death of Mr. Kurtz (Conrad 105). With his last words, Mr. Kurtz came to realization of the darkness he had so long been a part of. He and the other pilgrims like him embodied the paradox of a civilized savage. Their honest efforts to humanize the natives they saw as wild beasts, quickly turned to a brutal and unjust treatment of them. As time went on their hearts became hardened and their actions grew worse.

Taking everything he pleases to be his, no matter who or what it hurts. This aspect of Kurtz for Marlow is reversed throughout the novel, with Marlow later even saying: "He 's no idol of mine" (3.6). And also then choosing to set his mindset so that Kurtz is nothing else but a childish, helpless and a mercenary But surprisingly at the end, Marlow is dragged back into his admiration. While Kurtiz faces death he gasp out, "The horror! The horror!" (3.33), Marlow choses that these are words of automatic natural response of self-realization, that there was a chance that Kurtz realized and faced up to his terrible actions and his corruption of human nature. Later saying "Kurtz was a remarkable man," due to the fact that when he "had something to say" he just "said it" (3.48).