Imperialism’s Imbalance of Id
Insanity is a byproduct of imperialism. In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Kurtz is a high ranking employee of the Company, an imperialist Dutch organization exploiting the Congo for ivory. After gaining his position, Kurtz rapidly becomes consumed by greed, establishes himself as a veritable god among men, and leads natives in raids against other villages to steal their ivory. Kurtz is overwhelmingly dominated by his id, and his downfall stems from the imbalance of his psyche; thus, as a symbol of imperialism, Kurtz serves as a warning of the dangers of the imperialist mindset that allows the id to grow unchecked.
Kurtz exemplifies the id as evidenced by his bestial nature and his demonstrated rapacity. As …show more content…
Kurtz is being driven to madness by his greed. While speaking to Marlow, the harlequin says that: Somehow [Kurtz] couldn't get away. When I had a chance I begged him to try and leave while there was time; I offered to go back with him. And he would say yes, and then he would remain; go off on another ivory hunt; disappear for weeks; forget himself amongst these people - forget himself - you know. 'Why! he's mad,' I said (Conrad …show more content…
However, despite his recurring sickness, he has no will to leave the jungle due to his lack of moderating ego and superego. As a result, he descends further and further into madness without regard for his own health. Meanwhile, Kurtz’s physical illness is a manifestation of his mental sickness. Physically, his lack of moderating ego and superego lead him to stay in jungle out of greed, even though he is continuously contracting a life threatening illness —likely malaria. Symbolically, physical sickness in literature is also used as a metaphor for madness to establish its magnitude. In The Metaphor of Mental Illness, University of Otago professor Neil Pickering writes, “We can rightly model madness upon disease… provided that the manifestations of madness are analogous to the symptoms of physical disease” (Pickering 166). This quote establishes the common theme of mental sickness being represented and magnified by physical symptoms in literature. Thus, Kurtz’s insanity is represented by physical illness in that as he reaches the peak of his madness, he dies. In his last moments of life, Kurtz "cried in a whisper at some image, at some vision—he cried out twice, a cry that was no more than a breath: 'The horror! The horror!'" (Conrad 69). As Kurtz’s madness peaks —as a result of the overwhelming force of his id— his greed and lust devolve into terrifying hallucinations. This awful death is caused by the physical
Insanity is a byproduct of imperialism. In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Kurtz is a high ranking employee of the Company, an imperialist Dutch organization exploiting the Congo for ivory. After gaining his position, Kurtz rapidly becomes consumed by greed, establishes himself as a veritable god among men, and leads natives in raids against other villages to steal their ivory. Kurtz is overwhelmingly dominated by his id, and his downfall stems from the imbalance of his psyche; thus, as a symbol of imperialism, Kurtz serves as a warning of the dangers of the imperialist mindset that allows the id to grow unchecked.
Kurtz exemplifies the id as evidenced by his bestial nature and his demonstrated rapacity. As …show more content…
Kurtz is being driven to madness by his greed. While speaking to Marlow, the harlequin says that: Somehow [Kurtz] couldn't get away. When I had a chance I begged him to try and leave while there was time; I offered to go back with him. And he would say yes, and then he would remain; go off on another ivory hunt; disappear for weeks; forget himself amongst these people - forget himself - you know. 'Why! he's mad,' I said (Conrad …show more content…
However, despite his recurring sickness, he has no will to leave the jungle due to his lack of moderating ego and superego. As a result, he descends further and further into madness without regard for his own health. Meanwhile, Kurtz’s physical illness is a manifestation of his mental sickness. Physically, his lack of moderating ego and superego lead him to stay in jungle out of greed, even though he is continuously contracting a life threatening illness —likely malaria. Symbolically, physical sickness in literature is also used as a metaphor for madness to establish its magnitude. In The Metaphor of Mental Illness, University of Otago professor Neil Pickering writes, “We can rightly model madness upon disease… provided that the manifestations of madness are analogous to the symptoms of physical disease” (Pickering 166). This quote establishes the common theme of mental sickness being represented and magnified by physical symptoms in literature. Thus, Kurtz’s insanity is represented by physical illness in that as he reaches the peak of his madness, he dies. In his last moments of life, Kurtz "cried in a whisper at some image, at some vision—he cried out twice, a cry that was no more than a breath: 'The horror! The horror!'" (Conrad 69). As Kurtz’s madness peaks —as a result of the overwhelming force of his id— his greed and lust devolve into terrifying hallucinations. This awful death is caused by the physical