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The Difference Between Mr. Kurtz and Marlow
Mr. Kurtz is intended to be the picture of everything that is evil and twisted deep in the human soul that can be unleashed with the proper stimulus or lack of restraint, while Marlow is the soul who is saved by stepping back before it is too late. Obviously cutting off people’s heads and placing them on stakes is not what would be considered normal, or right by any means, but neither is destroying a culture.
Kurtz finds a part of himself that is quite disturbing and embraces it, but the fact that he was stimulated by the ideas and greed of colonialism can not be denied. The expedition creates scars in the jungle, belittles the native people because their culture is different, and is responsible for the death of many more than Kurtz has killed. For instance, the story of the ghost in the boiler that is used to take advantage of the native’s beliefs so that he will work for them, or perhaps it was just for the entertainment of the expedition. Then there is the dead body of the road that is considered a good thing.
Marlow may think that he is making the right decision by recognizing how out of control Kurtz is, but what he does not realize is colonialism is a huge part of why Kurtz is the way he is, and that he just chose colonialism. Both Kurtz and Marlow are wrong in their decisions, but the difference between the two is that Kurtz recognizes what he is doing, and Marlow does not. Kurtz’s last words, “The horror, the horror,” make it evident that he is disgusted with himself and what he has done, Marlow does not realize what a mistake he is making by being involved with the expedition and accepting colonialism.
Quote-
"They were common everyday words- the farmiliar, vague sounds exchanged on every waking day of life. But what of that? They had behind them, to my mind, the terrific suggestiveness of words heard in dreams, of phrases spoken in nightmares. Soul! If anyone has ever struggled with a soul, I am the man. And I wasn't arguing with a lunatic either," (Conrad 149).
Mr. Kurtz is intended to be the picture of everything that is evil and twisted deep in the human soul that can be unleashed with the proper stimulus or lack of restraint, while Marlow is the soul who is saved by stepping back before it is too late. Obviously cutting off people’s heads and placing them on stakes is not what would be considered normal, or right by any means, but neither is destroying a culture.
Kurtz finds a part of himself that is quite disturbing and embraces it, but the fact that he was stimulated by the ideas and greed of colonialism can not be denied. The expedition creates scars in the jungle, belittles the native people because their culture is different, and is responsible for the death of many more than Kurtz has killed. For instance, the story of the ghost in the boiler that is used to take advantage of the native’s beliefs so that he will work for them, or perhaps it was just for the entertainment of the expedition. Then there is the dead body of the road that is considered a good thing.
Marlow may think that he is making the right decision by recognizing how out of control Kurtz is, but what he does not realize is colonialism is a huge part of why Kurtz is the way he is, and that he just chose colonialism. Both Kurtz and Marlow are wrong in their decisions, but the difference between the two is that Kurtz recognizes what he is doing, and Marlow does not. Kurtz’s last words, “The horror, the horror,” make it evident that he is disgusted with himself and what he has done, Marlow does not realize what a mistake he is making by being involved with the expedition and accepting colonialism.
Quote-
"They were common everyday words- the farmiliar, vague sounds exchanged on every waking day of life. But what of that? They had behind them, to my mind, the terrific suggestiveness of words heard in dreams, of phrases spoken in nightmares. Soul! If anyone has ever struggled with a soul, I am the man. And I wasn't arguing with a lunatic either," (Conrad 149).
In this quote, Marlow is speaking about Kurtz and what has driven him to his current state. This gives a clear indication that Kurtz is intended to be Marlow's alter ego. When Marlow says, "The farmiliar, vague sounds exchanged on every waking day of life...of phrases spoken in nightmares," it suggests that Kurts is a sane human being, who understands precisely what he is doing. The fact that the words he speaks seem as though they could be straight out of a nightmare, yet they are common, shows that this evil could be something that everyone could fall victim to; despite the fact that Conrad may be suggesting that this is something that only men could experience. The proper stimulus could make any common aspect of life turn into a "nightmare" because people possess an animal instinct that becomes harnessed by societal influences and self-restraint.
I was a little confused the first time I read Heart of Darkness, but once I understood it, it was very interesting. I liked how Kurtz is intended to be Marlow’s alter ego, and it is like Marlow is looking in a mirror the entire time. Conrad makes some great descriptions, and he is very concise, and to the point
3 comments:
I thought Kurtz and Marlow could have been even one and the same, but I was also rather confused the first time, and the second time for that matter. Your quote further sums up my idea that they are the same being by saying that he was struggling with his soul, as it is clear taht kurtz has done.
While I do believe that Kurtz is meant to be everything evil that is in mans soul, I do not agree that Kurtz embraced his demonic ways. I do not even think Kurtz realized how twisted and sick he really was. Kurtz was more or less sucked into the state of insanity that he is in. Unlike Marlow, he could no distinguish right from wrong and so crossed the line without looking back while Marlow was able to pull away. I also do not believe that Marlow was responsible for more deaths than Kurtz. The way that I read it, the expedition camps were already there and Marlow and his company were just passing through on their way to retrieve Kurtz. The deaths caused by Marlow and his crew are nowhere near the amount that Kurtz has caused. I also do not believe that Marlow accepted colonialism. Yes, he was part of it, but I think that he came to the conclusion that it was a bad thing, both for the natives and for the people trying to civilize them, and that is the reason why he was so glad to be returning home after finding Kurtz.
Your reflection could be a bit more in-depth. Also, the quote can easily be read as though Marlow is speaking about himself.
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