I don’t know. He just made his decisions based on his arrogance. I don’t think he made the best decisions when he was on his own, but they were the decisions he wanted to make. He left an amazing opportunity just to travel down south and just be happy. He wanted to explore the wild and he did.…
To me Kurtz was just the chief of the Inner Station and the object of Marlow’s quest. Didn’t give it much thought just a poor man who went mad in the Congo’s. But in the lectures we learned that it was much more than just that. Kurtz was doing more then just trying to make his way up the ranks Kurtz had been trying to bring light in the heart of the darkness he was trying to bring enlightenment into the Congo. Kurtz is an idealist; he proves his worth by helping humanity.…
His father was an alcoholic who never kept a good job, and was always moving. After graduating in college in 1897, he focused on writing, and in 1904, went undercover to work at a meatpacking plant to research his novel The Jungle. From 1917 to the 1920s, he was a part of the socialist party, a main idea of the book. Most of the things in his life, specifically the alcoholic father, Meatpacking, and socialist party, are very prevalent in the book, and after researching, you can see why they were to him.…
He knew the jungle as…
Kurtz is highly gifted but tragically flawed. He embodies the heart of darkness in that he is devoid of substance. Marlow often refers to Kurtz as hallow. He takes his success in the company and turns it into greed. "You should have heard him say, 'My ivory. '…
Because he started to question everything he was told and wanted to venture out…
Upton Sinclair purpose for writing The Jungle was to unmask and expose the disgraceful working conditions in the meat-packing industry in Chicago to bring light on the unsanitary way animals were kill to become process meat. But most of his concerns were how the meat packing industry workers were being treated. Sinclair began his story opening up with a wedding ceremony introducing the main character Jurgis Rudkus and his family from Lithuanian. Jurgis came to America believing he and his family will you have better life during capitalism.…
Often people are blinded by their lust for power and wealth. Joseph Conrad, in the novella “Heart of Darkness”, explores greed through character, imperialism and symbolism to show the corrupting power of greed. The novella follows Marlow’s character as he embarks on his journey within the Congo. Marlow encounters Kurtz’s public persona, which Marlow is intrigued by.…
Kurtz would agree to leave but always ended up not leaving and finding more ivory. Again, The Russian claims that Kurtz’s behavior is rational even when he was threatened to be shot by Kurtz the Russian thinks that “[Marlow] can’t judge Mr. Kurtz as [he] would an ordinary man...he wanted to shoot me” (Conrad 56). The Russian holds Kurtz above others and for some reason still supports him and thinks that his behavior isn’t insane after Kurtz threatens to shoot him. When Marlow comments on how Kurtz “Is a remarkable man” the manager replies that “He was” (Conrad 61). The manager thinks that Kurtz 's behavior is reasonable because he is mad and thinks that that gives him a good reason to have these crazy behaviors that would not be tolerated in a normal “healthy” person.…
At the conclusion of the novel, he talks to Kurtz’s Intended, and she asks him about the last words of Kurtz. Had Marlow told the truth, he would have most likely shocked the woman, who would have jumped to the worst case condition. Instead of saying the real last words, Marlow lies and tells the Intended that Kurtz’s last words were her name (77). By doing so, Marlow shows his personal transition from Victorian to modern life, showing a change in cultural…
Kurtz is trying to escape his reality by staying at his post. He wants to live the life of a god amongst the simple, because the immense pride he receives from it is better than anything reality has to offer. His exploitation of the natives’ loyalty and his realization of this is an explanation of his last words; that the misuse of the people from and of the darkness is truly “The horror!The…
Ignorance is bliss, as many believe. However, ignorance also leads man into situations they are unable to control, because of what lies in their heart. In the novella Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad utilizes strong symbolism to display how materialistic value can cause ignorance of the truth, which can lead to a man’s state of vulnerability and destruction. Joseph Conrad utilizes ivory as a strong symbol to display how man’s obsession for worldly items ultimately leads to the obliviousness of their actions and the destruction of everything around them. When Marlow arrived at the central station, he heard “The word ‘ivory’ rang (ring) in the air, (It) was whispered, was sighed.…
At the end of the book, he is introduced to the intended for Kurtz and the audience sees the transformation complete. “The last word he pronounced was- your name” (Conrad, 1990, 71). At the end of the story, Marlow leaves the audience with a lie. Kurtz did not utter those words. Can the corruption seen in Marlow be justified?…
In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Marlow and Kurtz are tremendously similar, but their slight differences set them apart. Both Marlow and Kurtz traveled far into the Congo, leading them closer to darkness. But, where Marlow chooses restraint, Kurtz chooses to the temptation of the wilderness. Furthermore, both Marlow and Kurtz view the native people as unequal. Kurtz, driven by an obsessive goal decides to become their leader.…
Kurtz’s character plays an important role as well because he offers an opposition to Marlow’s character. He uses a more violent and evil approach in order to receive power and become successful. He chooses to ignore the hypocrisy presented by the European conduct. Kurtz uses his words and ability to lead in order to rise to the top and hold his title. His character is relative to the idea of hypocrisy because it defines a leader who seems caring and concerned, but in reality, he’s a misleading man of wise words.…