“Your strength is just an accident arising from the weakness of others,” (Conrad) says Marlow at the beginning of Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. This almost prophetic notion becomes like a guideline for two main characters in the book: the Manager and Kurtz. Their actions bring this belief to light in their lives, showing what is truly underneath. The Manager was only strong whenever Kurtz displayed weakness, and Kurtz 's weakness became prevalent when he recognized his heart of darkness but could do nothing to stop it. Both men fell to the overwhelming influence of depravity. Joseph Conrad uses the Manager and Kurtz to illustrate every man 's susceptibility to give in to his depraved heart. Kurtz was described as an extremely intelligent
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Through his weak moments he still has the legacy of the people to follow him. He was a good man, but not because he displayed good deeds in his life, it was because he recognized his dark heart that every man possesses. This recognition caused him to better develop his relationship with the natives and is probably a major reason why he did not want to leave and return to civilization. He had been alienated from the Company and deemed unsound. While he was still very intelligent, he was slowly slipping away in to insanity towards the end of his life during his sickness. He could not escape his depraved heart as his words slowly filled with nonsense and his mind drifted away. “ The brown current ran swiftly out of the heart of darkness, bearing us down towards the sea with twice the speed of our upward progress; and Kurtz 's life was running swiftly too” (Conrad). As Kurtz took his last breaths, he uttered his last words which were a clear sign of his insanity and depravity. “The horror! The horror!” (Conrad) he said as Marlow ran out of the room so as to not …show more content…
He knew that Kurtz was a brilliant man and was capable of great things. Which is why he so greatly anticipated Kurtz 's downfall and demise. The Manager had a sick sense of accomplishment and gratification. It seemed as if he would only be pleased when Kurtz failed and was weak. That is because the weakness is where he drew his strength from. Kurtz showed a general disdain for the Manager as soon as he arrived, and the Manager did not seem to be to friendly towards Kurtz as well. Even before the Manager showed up in Kurtz 's territory, he was already planning for him to die and in fact was counting on, even wishing for, it to happen. The Manager claims he and the Company have done everything they can for Kurtz and his health, but meanwhile he was more or less silently pleased that his health was failing. He went so far as to condemn Kurtz, making Marlow disgusted with his hypocrisy. Thereafter, Marlow recognizes Kurtz as a “remarkable man” (Conrad) which proceeds to make him also alienated along with Kurtz. He was also deemed “unsound”. The Manager could not find satisfaction enough in knowing that Kurtz would soon die, but he also planned on having the Russian trader hung, the man who thought so highly and honorably of Kurtz. This goes to show that strength gained from another person 's weakness is not strength at all, but
Through his weak moments he still has the legacy of the people to follow him. He was a good man, but not because he displayed good deeds in his life, it was because he recognized his dark heart that every man possesses. This recognition caused him to better develop his relationship with the natives and is probably a major reason why he did not want to leave and return to civilization. He had been alienated from the Company and deemed unsound. While he was still very intelligent, he was slowly slipping away in to insanity towards the end of his life during his sickness. He could not escape his depraved heart as his words slowly filled with nonsense and his mind drifted away. “ The brown current ran swiftly out of the heart of darkness, bearing us down towards the sea with twice the speed of our upward progress; and Kurtz 's life was running swiftly too” (Conrad). As Kurtz took his last breaths, he uttered his last words which were a clear sign of his insanity and depravity. “The horror! The horror!” (Conrad) he said as Marlow ran out of the room so as to not …show more content…
He knew that Kurtz was a brilliant man and was capable of great things. Which is why he so greatly anticipated Kurtz 's downfall and demise. The Manager had a sick sense of accomplishment and gratification. It seemed as if he would only be pleased when Kurtz failed and was weak. That is because the weakness is where he drew his strength from. Kurtz showed a general disdain for the Manager as soon as he arrived, and the Manager did not seem to be to friendly towards Kurtz as well. Even before the Manager showed up in Kurtz 's territory, he was already planning for him to die and in fact was counting on, even wishing for, it to happen. The Manager claims he and the Company have done everything they can for Kurtz and his health, but meanwhile he was more or less silently pleased that his health was failing. He went so far as to condemn Kurtz, making Marlow disgusted with his hypocrisy. Thereafter, Marlow recognizes Kurtz as a “remarkable man” (Conrad) which proceeds to make him also alienated along with Kurtz. He was also deemed “unsound”. The Manager could not find satisfaction enough in knowing that Kurtz would soon die, but he also planned on having the Russian trader hung, the man who thought so highly and honorably of Kurtz. This goes to show that strength gained from another person 's weakness is not strength at all, but