| A Review of Joseph Conrad's |
| The Heart Of Darkness |
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Joseph Conrad's The Heart of Darkness is a dark and haunting tale about the search for a substantial and mysteriously powerful man named Mr. Kurtz. Mr. Kurtz is a well-known man who has achieved a distinguished reputation for maintaining the ivory trade. His intelligence, persuasiveness, and cruelty are all characteristics that have produced his unbelievably amoral power. How can it be possible for a man to move into an unknown territory and build himself a foundation of power that sparks fear and yet simultaneously generates loyalty in less than a lifetime? Mr. Kurtz's ambition is driven by his "fascination with the abomination" (20). He has goals that he wants to achieve and he uses every means possible to obtain authority. In addition, his genius combined with his desire for power produces an unstoppable monster that consumes him. But, it can also consume anyone who has tasted the indulgence of omnipotence. The world of power and evil can be very enticing, and it can lure any man who has felt its pleasure. Mr. Kurtz isolates himself inside the heart of Africa, and his acquisition of power causes his moral sympathies and emotions to dwindle.
Mr. Kurtz is a well-known man whose name, when mentioned, flashes images of ruthlessness and domination. Everyone in the ivory trade knew of Mr. Kurtz. The brickmaker at the Central Station states, "[Kurtz] is a prodigy . . . He is an emissary of pity and science and progress, and devil knows what else" (47). Kurtz is highly reputable, and he displays leadership skills that few men have successfully achieved. Kurtz's future could be magnificent if he simply leaves Africa to return home to his country. He could live a life of luxury by selling his ivory in Europe. The company's Chief Accountant remarks, "He will be a somebody in the Administration before long. They, above -- the Coun-cil in Europe, you know -- mean him to be" (38). Mr. Kurtz chooses, however, to live in the jungles of Africa where he posseses god-like powers. His decision to live in a mysterious jungle where cannibals dwell, and where the conveniences of a civilized society are inexistent is one that is extremely extraordinary. His desire for power seems to outweigh any other personal need such as comfort and luxury, emotion and feeling such as love, and communication and contact with people of his kind. Marlow, the man who searches for Mr. Kurtz, asks him, "Do you know what you are doing?" Mr. Kurtz replies, "Perfectly" (106). Mr. Kurtz is totally confident in himself, but he does not realize what is truly happening to him. Mr. Kurtz is an evil man, yet he is said to be "remarkable" by several people in the story. Is Mr. Kurtz a man to be honored for his outstanding achievements? Or does his evil deeds in obtaining power classify him as a madman? Mr. Kurtz used much violence to obtain his power. He "raided the country," (92) frightening natives into following him. He threatened to shoot his friend, the harlequin man, for keeping ivory. He maintained his power by desiring "to have kings meet him at railway-stations on his return from some ghastly Nowhere" (110). Mr. Kurtz communicates only to gain power, and he does so by condescending others. He feels that he is superior to everyone else, and he tries to eliminate all opposition. Mr. Kurtz may have unlimited power, but in the process of obtaining power it seemed that he has lost all of his heart. Kurtz seemed to represent the amount of power he had through the possession of physical "things". Marlow expresses, "You should have heard [Kurtz] say, 'My ivory.' Oh, yes, I heard him. 'My Intended, my ivory, my station, my river, my --' everything belonged to him" (81). Kurtz may have had everything in terms of physical objects but what he lacked was emotions such as love and happiness. He had his Intended but he had no affection for her. His last dying words were not to her but to some vision, some image, "The horror! The horror!" (112). Kurtz did not die a happy man because his craving for power dehumanized him. Power can arise from two ways-it can arise through positive support from the people or it can arise through force. In Kurtz's case, he used force to gain power until finally it took hold of him. He could not let go of his power, and he entered into a realm where he could not escape. Kurtz wanted to stay in the jungle where he was important and practically omnipotent. In the end, Kurtz's heart became one of darkness. Many historical figures can be compared to Kurtz such as the infamous Adolf Hitler and Machiavelli. One can learn from this book and look at how the future can be controlled to stop this savage mentality from ever happening again. |
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