Throughout Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Kurtz’s last words help Marlow formulate a revering demeanor towards Kurtz, which leads him to establishing his own mindset about the maliciousness of imperialism and assist Marlow in understanding what Kurtz had seen. Imperialism was a hot discussion throughout Marlow’s time period, and Marlow never genuinely looked into it. However, his point of view towards imperialism changes when he meets Kurtz and listen to his last words. Kurtz’s words not only affect Marlow’s views, but they also affect his lifestyle and actions after the Congo.
When Marlow first came to the Congo, he had constantly heard about Kurtz and his prestige because he brought more ivory than any other agent. Hearing about Kurtz, …show more content…
His views do change, but he also has a different change in behavior when he comes back to Europe, most likely because of what he had seen in the Congo. Back in Europe, many people visit him but he particularly visits one person, and that is Kurtz’s fiancé. They have a long conversation about how Kurtz was a good man, and Marlow agrees. However, Marlow would not have agreed if he had not heard Kurtz’s last words or seen the actions in Africa. Before Africa, civilization protected Marlow from the truth behind imperialism. When he got to the Congo, it affected him mentally for the most part, opening his eyes to imperialism and exposing the darkness behind it. When Marlow’s fiancé asks what Kurtz’s last words were Marlow responds, “‘To the very end’, I said, shakily, ‘I heard his very last words… the last word he pronounced was – your name’” (Conrad, 3.116). Marlow lies to Kurtz’s fiancé because he doesn’t want her to witness the horror that imperialism has behind it. More importantly, he believes she might take it the wrong way and assume something else. He avoided revealing a dark secret about humanity and instead lied by replacing it with love and compassion. This connects to the theme the “Hollowness of Civilization,” man hides his inhumane acts because people believe civilization has just as more power as the savage world. The irony is that because of civilization’s savage acts against the barbaric world, they are both just as
When Marlow first came to the Congo, he had constantly heard about Kurtz and his prestige because he brought more ivory than any other agent. Hearing about Kurtz, …show more content…
His views do change, but he also has a different change in behavior when he comes back to Europe, most likely because of what he had seen in the Congo. Back in Europe, many people visit him but he particularly visits one person, and that is Kurtz’s fiancé. They have a long conversation about how Kurtz was a good man, and Marlow agrees. However, Marlow would not have agreed if he had not heard Kurtz’s last words or seen the actions in Africa. Before Africa, civilization protected Marlow from the truth behind imperialism. When he got to the Congo, it affected him mentally for the most part, opening his eyes to imperialism and exposing the darkness behind it. When Marlow’s fiancé asks what Kurtz’s last words were Marlow responds, “‘To the very end’, I said, shakily, ‘I heard his very last words… the last word he pronounced was – your name’” (Conrad, 3.116). Marlow lies to Kurtz’s fiancé because he doesn’t want her to witness the horror that imperialism has behind it. More importantly, he believes she might take it the wrong way and assume something else. He avoided revealing a dark secret about humanity and instead lied by replacing it with love and compassion. This connects to the theme the “Hollowness of Civilization,” man hides his inhumane acts because people believe civilization has just as more power as the savage world. The irony is that because of civilization’s savage acts against the barbaric world, they are both just as