Heart Of Darkness

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.

The native African people and the African setting are both metaphors for darkness to enable Conrad to reveal the evil in all of humanity. Kurtz’s book stated that “we whites... ‘must necessarily appear to them [savages] in the nature of supernatural beings’” emphasizing the European viewpoint before journeying into Africa (65). Marlow also believed that these natives were savages until he too went into Africa, but upon all the chaos and uncleanliness of Africa, the Accountant maintained “an unexpected elegance” (21). The Accountant preserves his appearance among the untidiness because he clings to his ideals of civility and organization. However, the natives are mistreated and one even “had tied a bit of white worsted round his neck” (20).

In Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, the imperialism of Africa is described. Conrad tells the story of the cruel treatment of the natives and of the imperialism of the Congo region through the perspective of the main character, Marlow. Throughout the novel, Marlow describes how the Europeans continuously bestow poor treatment to the native people by enslaving them in their own territory. Analyzing the story with the New Criticism lens, it is evident that Conrad incorporates numerous literary devices in Heart of Darkness, including similes, imagery, personification, and antitheses to describe and exemplify the main idea of cruel imperialism in Africa discussed throughout the novella.

Who is "the flabby devil" who is "running the show'? Why is Marlow so frustrated by what he sees in Africa and by the Europeans he meets?

 Marlow's journey leads him in an urgent search for Kurtz, the one man who can provide him with the truth about himself. Like Marlow, Kurtz came to the Congo in hopes to bring "light" and civilization to a backwards society. He is a highly-educated, refined gentlemen; yet, in the end, the brutal nature of the Congo forces him to resort to the life of a murderer and pilferer. The name Kurtz itself has symbolic meaning. "The physical shortness in Kurtz implies a shortness of character and spirit" (Heart of Darkness: A systematic evaluation). Marlow and Kurtz both symbolize the two conditions of human nature. "Kurtz represents what man could become if left to his own intrinsic devices outside protective society. Marlow represents a pure untainted civilized soul who has not been drawn to savagery by a dark, alienated jungle." (Heart of Darkness: A systematic evaluation). When the two come face to face, each man sees a reflection of what he might have become in the other. In Kurtz, Marlow sees the potential

In Heart of Darkness, Marlow and Kurtz have many similarities. Perhaps the most apparent and literal similarity is the likeness of their journeys. Both men journey farther and farther into the African jungle. Kurtz, however, is driven to

Marlow says that, "They were conquerors, and for that you want only brute force-- nothing to boast of."(p.58 Heart of Darkness) . Marlow compares his subsequent tale of colonialism with that of the Roman colonization of Northern Europe and the fascination associated with such a voyage. However, Marlow challenges this viewpoint by illustrating a picture of the horrors of colonialist ventures as we delve deeper into the novel. White Europeans are used as symbols of self-deception, and we find that Marlow sees colonization as "robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale, and men going at it blind - as it is very proper for those who tackle darkness."(p.58 Heart of Darkness) This shows how Conrad feels about colonialism through Marlow, because Marlow feels strongly adverse to the actions of the whites in the Congo.

In Joseph Conrad’s book, Heart of Darkness, the protagonist travels deep into the Congo wilderness as a steamboat captain to retrieve ivory and a man named Kurtz. While his time in the Congo was short, the event was full of horrifying confusing scenes that slowly drew Marlow further into the dark. The only reason that Marlow survived with not only his sanity but his morals was the work he did on his steamboat quite literally as well as figuratively. While Marlo was on his voyage he experienced many horrific things. Conrad uses the light and dark symbols to contrast each other and show how the darkness of the living and how it crawls into every man's heart and how sometimes the light can be the destruction.

In the beginning Marlow is a passionate yet occasional ignorant seaman searching the rivers of Central Africa for ivory in order to fulfil a childhood dream of adventuring the uncharted land on the maps. As the journey continues and unexpected events with the steamboat occur, unpredictable opportunities arise and the necessity to meet the wonderful Kurtz amplifies. With a new infatuation of Kurtz and his seemingly unthought of possible scenarios, Marlow met him and realized that he was not what he had imagined. In fact, he became displeased and bothered with how Kurtz thought of himself and others, along with how he treated men similar to him and the native Africans. Finally, towards the end of the novel, after Marlow experienced the unfortunate results of being deceived by Kurtz, he made the decision to lie to the Intended about his thoughts of him. When speaking to the fiancé, one may view that this is the only time where Marlow deliberately lied and deceived another; however, they are incorrect. Even though he was adamant about making sure others knew his beliefs about lying, there were minor incidents where he went against his word. Such as the time he pressured the Brickmaker about the rivets. Each event in the Heart of Darkness

Kurtz is manipulating the natives and using them as slave labor in order to seem successful and powerful on the outside. It seems that Kurtz is the master of ivory, but when his interior is examined, his true identity is brought to light. Kurtz’s exterior also does not show his insanity, which Marlow witnesses first hand when he visits him at the inner station. The point when Marlow fully perceives Kurtz’s inner insanity is when he notices there are human heads mounted on posts outside of Kurtz’s estate (Conrad 55-56). This is the moment Marlow realizes the things he has heard about Kurtz might not be true.

Since Kurtz mistress symbolizes the darkness of African, then it is assumed that Kurtz involvement with her defies Marlow’s expectations. Kayla Walker Edin deliberates in “It Is Impossible That All Should Be Lost”: Victorian Narrative in Joseph’s Conrad Heart of Darkness” about Victorian values in terms of discussion of both the Intended and the Mistress. Edin takes note that Marlow disappointedly insist that Kurt, himself, has gone native. Kurt has “apparently adopted customs that horrify Marlow (such as cannibalism, taking an African mistress and engaging in unnamed sexual and religious rites)” (Edin 42). Her blackness obstructs “every corner of the European home” unlike the Intended who is representative of the ideal Victorian woman. (Edin

In the book Heart of Darkness, a story within a story is being told. The character, Marlow, is telling the story of Kurtz to legitimize his role in the events that are taking place. A downside to this approach is that the reader only hears rumors and accounts about this mysterious figure, Kurtz, before actually meeting him. Kurtz remains an unknown and enigmatic character in Marlow's mind.

Joseph Conrad, through his many uses of the words “light” and “dark”, portrays the ideas of “lightness” as being self-satisfied and at peace, while he perceives “darkness” as inner turmoil and strife. Conrad shows inner peace through light by stating that “(Kurtz) had started for the interior with a light heart and no more idea of what would happen to him than a baby” (Conrad 28). This light and salubrious heart Kurtz travels with protects him from his imagination and the thoughts of what will happen to him in the Congo. He is able to maintain this beatitude within himself, even though Kurtz is facing madness and insanity.

  Kurtz was a personal embodiment, a dramatization, of all that Conrad felt of futility, degradation, and horror in what the Europeans in the Congo called 'progress,' which meant the exploitation of the natives by every variety of cruelty and treachery known to greedy man. Kurtz was to Marlow, penetrating this country, a name, constantly recurring in people's talk, for cleverness and enterprise. Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is a portrait of the degeneration of the ideal of Kurtz symbolizing the degeneration of the ideal of colonialism as 'civilizing work'.

Like Marlow, Kurtz began his employment with the ivory company with noble intentions: he wants to create a better way of life for the natives. However, because of extreme hardships placed upon him by the manager, Kurtz becomes the "dark" half of the soul: he symbolizes what Marlow may have become if placed in Kurtz' position.