Theme Title Treatment of Women
Marlow
Narrative mode ColonialismExplain Stream of Consciousness
Kurtz is the most
important figure in Heart of Darkness. Joseph Conrad reveals
little about him through the action in the book. We are introduced to this
enigmatic character through various events and other persons. His role is a
series of images constructed by others.
Kurtz’s mother was
half-English and his father was half-French. Educated partly in England and
partly in other countries, he was a great genius. Conrad presented him as an
efficient agent, a painter, a journalist, a musician, a great conversationalist
and a great man who could win over the heart of natives.
The
International Society for the suppression of the Savage Customs had entrusted
him with the making of the report, for his future guidance, which when prepared
was very eloquent. Almost every person shares
a good and sometimes high opinion about Kurtz as he has affected all their
lives differently. His cousin tells Marlow that Kurtz was a great musician and humanitarian
and concludes him as a genius. The Belgian journalist offers another image of
Kurtz. He refers him as a brilliant politician and leader. Kurtz’s Intended saw
him as a loving, devoted and caring person. She obviously had no idea that he
was having an affair with a native woman in Africa.
It has been rightly said,
Mr. Kurtz- so sensitive, so civilized-who at the
savage centre of the jungle; sees into the darkness of himself, and dies.
It is difficult to
distinguish how Kurtz who
seems so insular and isolated from the rest of the society was able to connect
with so many persons. The reason behind this may be, he did not really let
anyone know him truly. He let people see what they wanted to.
In Heart of Darkness,
Kurtz is first introduced by the accountant of the Company. As soon as Marlow
arrives, the accountant informs him that he (Marlow) would meet Kurtz when he
goes into the interior of the country. According to the accountant, Mr. Kurtz
is a first class agent of the Company adding also that he
is a very remarkable man.
The brick-maker
expresses high opinion about Kurtz. He says,
Mr. Kurtz is a prodigy and an emissary
of pity of science of progress and devil knows of what else.
Further, he tells Marlow that men like Mr.
Kurtz are needed for the enlightenment of such dark countries as the Congo, for
he is the man of high intelligence, wide sympathies and singleness of purpose.
He also expects Kurtz to become the assistant manager of the best station of
the Company.
Kurtz had come to the
dark country with high aspirations and ideals. His stay here was a sort of test
of his personality- the test of lofty ideals against the dark powers of the
wilderness. In this test Kurtz failed. Besides betraying the humanity in him, he
also betrayed the natives and reduced them to poverty and subservience;
deprived them of their dignity and will. However, he himself reduced to be a
hollow man. Kurtz degradation may largely be attributed to his utter lack of
restraint. Also, at the inner station he is deprived of the support and
restraint of his society. In this wilderness, there is nothing to prevent him.
However, there is no doubt that he was a daring person. Unlike the agents who
rejected the challenge of the dark wilderness, Kurtz went to the extreme in his
exploration.
He came to Congo to
explore the area, but soon his aim was to collect ivory. This brings forth his
greediness. Though one can notice Kurtz was not without moral awareness. He
remains conscious of his cold-blooded exploitation towards the natives. Their
treatment of him almost as a deity gave him pleasure but this was followed by
his intensifying moral awareness. Thus, Kurtz can be seen as a white man who is
conscious of his sinister aspect, though he himself falls prey to the odious
primitivism. If Kurtz has fallen he has fallen from a considerable height and
Marlow finds in his fall a sign of superiority. He feels that Kurtz possesses,
an inextinguishable gift of noble and lofty
expression.
The last words ‘the horror!
the horror!’ uttered by Kurtz before his death comes as a final judgement of
the adventures that his soul has gone through on the earth. But Marlow feels
that these words express some sort of belief. They show candour and conviction
and may be interpreted as an affirmation and a moral victory over all the
innumerable defeats of Kurtz in his life.
Therefore, Kurtz is a symbolic
figure who represents White man’s greed and commercial mentality. He can also
be seen as a symbol of hypocrisy of civilizing the African savages. He also
represents the European men’s love of power and a thirst to rule over the
backward classes of the globe even at the cost of basic principles of humanity.
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