Heart of Darkness

Into the Heart of Darkness

The most corrupt villains are those who understand the evil they commit yet pay no heed. In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, one would assume that Kurtz plays the role of this nefarious character, but those who think so disregard the idea of what being in the Congo will no doubt do to you. Kurtz is unable to suppress the darkness inside of him because in the Congo there is only the law of the wild. He is powered by the knowledge of freedom the Congo has implemented in his life. Nobody can enter the heart of darkness and make it out level headed. Marlow has been intrigued by this character since the beginning of his journey, and had his heart set on finding out who he truly was. Marlow displayed a certain loyalty towards Kurtz and this lead Marlow to follow closely in Kurtz footsteps deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness.

Long before Marlow came into human contact with Kurtz, Marlow felt as though he already knew him. Marlow was a wanderer who “followed the sea” (Conrad, 5), someone who found meaning in the way things were told rather than in the story themselves. Marlow’s nature impacted what he thought about Kurtz; He does what seems right to him rather than what seems right to everyone else. Marlow’s encounter with the Company's chief accountant was the first time he was introduced to Kurtz, who described him as “a first-class agent”(22) and “a remarkable person” (22) who was sure to go far in the Company. Marlow’s picture of Kurtz remained the same as he met with the Central Station Manager who once again assured Marlow that Kurtz was “of the greatest importance to the Company” (27). Marlow had later met with the brick maker in the Central Station who showed Marlow a glimpse of Kurtz’s personality before he entered the Congo: the oil painting. The brick maker described Kurtz as a “prodigy”(30), “an emissary of pity, and science, and progress”(30), a man who is chief of the best station, and who knows where he will be in a year's time. It’s safe to say that Marlow was convinced Kurtz was a valuable man, until he overheard the conversation between the Central Station Manager and his uncle. They made it clear that they wanted to “clear this poor devil out of the country” and wanted “the climate to do away” with him (38). Marlow mentioned that he “seemed to see Kurtz for the first time” but because of the way the story is told he didn’t realize this when it was actually happening. His doubt is shown when he questions how someone could be in the heart of darkness and still be the best ivory trader in the Company. To everyone else Kurtz seemed like quite an intriguing character, a character who has a secret that Marlow wants to find more about. Marlow doesn't understand why those who don’t know Kurtz think so highly of him, but those in the Company who strive to make money despise him for his power. He heard so much about Kurtz as an ivory trader he felt as though he knew everything about him, but Marlow knew there was something more and desired to find out what it was.

Marlow continued his journey and arrived at the Inner Station not knowing what to expect but left as an idealized image of Kurtz. The last person Marlow came into contact with before meeting Kurtz was the Harlequin, whose mind was enlarged by Kurtz in a profound way (67). The Harlequin was the only character who admits that Kurtz is different; that you can't treat him like you would an ordinary man. He shows Marlow that Kurtz, although ill, remains acting as a brutal and cruel leader that behaves as a god towards the natives. Up until this point Marlow has been oblivious to the world around him; he was so caught up in the journey that he didn't realize his boat was floating deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness. Marlow came into contact with Kurtz's dark side when he first saw the “ornamental knobs” on the gate around Kurtz's house; but what was significant is that they were facing towards the house rather than away from it. Marlow saw that Kurtz “lacked restraint in the gratification of his various lusts- that there was something wanting in him” and at this point Marlow's desire to understand Kurtz could not have been stronger. Even though Marlow had been informed