Lies, corruption, and failure are all central to the narrative of Joseph Condrad’s masterpiece, Heart of Darkness. The book details two separate stories, one of a man on a boat on the Thames, reciting a story while waiting to go to sea, and the other focusing on that man’s story of a descent down the Congo River. The man, Marlow, was hired by “The Company”, representative of the corrupt imperialist governments of the time, to reestablish connection to their inner most station in the Congo, run by a man named Kurtz. Through his long journey, Marlow sees the real horrors which accompany imperialism, but at the same time, Conrad uses Marlow and Kurtz to critique imperialism. The critique of imperialism within Heart of Darkness is directly reflected
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Kurtz body gave out before Marlow came to him, in that he was already in a deteriorated condition. Even when Marlow brought him aboard the boat to take him from one station to another, Kurtz dies on the journey. When Marlow behaves detached from him after his death, the crew “considered [him] brutally callous.” (Marlow 170) While Marlow was trying to save Kurtz’s life, he was still completely detached from it, and was subsequently indifferent when the person he was caring for passed away. Marlow also fails Kurtz again with his memory. When Marlow returns to Europe and is asked for Kurtz’s paperwork “[he] offered him the report on the ‘Suppression of Savage Customs,’ with the postscriptum torn off.” (Marlow 175) Marlow having torn off the crudely written postscript is in fact suppressing Kurtz, and failing to maintain his true memory. Even if Marlow is protecting the civilized image of Kurtz he is still subduing his savage side, thus misrepresenting him. This sentiment is again echoed in Marlow’s interaction with Kurtz’s Intended, in which he lies about Kurtz’s last words for the Intended’s sake. Rather than allowing the Intended to know Kurtz’s real last words and thoughts, Marlow forges a story that his last words were her name as to spare her the horrible truth. Again, while it may be for the greater good, Marlow is still suppressing Kurtz’s true memory, and in the process is failing to care for Kurtz’s
Kurtz body gave out before Marlow came to him, in that he was already in a deteriorated condition. Even when Marlow brought him aboard the boat to take him from one station to another, Kurtz dies on the journey. When Marlow behaves detached from him after his death, the crew “considered [him] brutally callous.” (Marlow 170) While Marlow was trying to save Kurtz’s life, he was still completely detached from it, and was subsequently indifferent when the person he was caring for passed away. Marlow also fails Kurtz again with his memory. When Marlow returns to Europe and is asked for Kurtz’s paperwork “[he] offered him the report on the ‘Suppression of Savage Customs,’ with the postscriptum torn off.” (Marlow 175) Marlow having torn off the crudely written postscript is in fact suppressing Kurtz, and failing to maintain his true memory. Even if Marlow is protecting the civilized image of Kurtz he is still subduing his savage side, thus misrepresenting him. This sentiment is again echoed in Marlow’s interaction with Kurtz’s Intended, in which he lies about Kurtz’s last words for the Intended’s sake. Rather than allowing the Intended to know Kurtz’s real last words and thoughts, Marlow forges a story that his last words were her name as to spare her the horrible truth. Again, while it may be for the greater good, Marlow is still suppressing Kurtz’s true memory, and in the process is failing to care for Kurtz’s