Describe the “encounters” between Kurtz and Marlow in Part II.What do we learn about each character, as well as man’s nature, from these encounters?Why does Marlow admire Kurtz?Why is Kurtz powerful?
Looking at the Encounters between Marlow and Kurtz one can assume that man's nature is to imperialize. One can see man's nature when Marlow is reading Kurtz's pamphlet. When reading he comes across an exclamation that states "Exterminate all the brutes" (46). Knowing that Conrad believes that imperialism is a bad thing, it can be assumed that he will make anyone who does think that imperialism is good look malicious. With this said, a reader can assume that Kurtz believes in imperialism because Conrad has portrayed him as a malicious character by having him think this. We can also assume that Kurtz represents man's nature and its want to imperialize because many people follow Kurtz in this book, espetially Marlow which reveals something about Marlow.
I agree with Kevin's comment of how it's man's nature to want to control and take over. That's why Marlow admires Kurtz because he demonstrates control and represents power, a quality Marlow would like to have as well. The mystery surrounding Kurtz is also what attracts Marlow, the fact that many people talk about him in a way that gives him a reputation allows the reader to understand Marlow's want to meet the "famous" Kurtz.
Although Kevin makes some really good points concerning the answer to this question, I believe that the main lesson learned from Marlow's "encounters" with Kurtz is that it is in the nature of humans high up in social status (The Europeans) to view themselves a sort of supernatural power towards people of inferior status (the natives). In Kurtz's publication, which Marlow reads, he says, "We must necessarily appear to them [savages] in the nature of supernatural beings-- we approach them with the might as of a deity" (45). These profound proclamations by Kurtz reveal his true nature, which is a paternalistic emperor-like figure to the natives. Marlow views Mr. Kurtz as a mysterious, mystical character who must be explored fully to be understood. I think that this characterization of Kurtz is the reason that Marlow admires him so much. Kurtz is one of those "blank spaces in the map" and meeting him will help Marlow discover and unfold the mystery of this company. When speaking of Kurtz, Marlow says, "The thing was to know what he belonged to, how many powers of darkness claimed him for their own... He had taken a high seat amongst the devils of the land" (44). Connecting back to the topic of his god-like presence, Marlow realizes that Kurtz holds a mysterious power over the natives at Central Station ("a high seat amongst the devils of the land"), and Marlow's everlasting curiosity is sparked once again when he wishes to learn about Kurtz's god-like influence and the mysterious, unknown power over the natives.
I think Marlow's encounters and knowledge of Kurtz is a symbol of the more evil side of human nature. He's strictly in the novel so Marlow can see that the kind of "savagery" characterized by corruption and evil is just as existent in a familiar white man, as it is in the cannibals/natives he meets (where as in their case, savagery is characterized by acting, well, savage, a.k.a. "uncivilized" whatever that may be). Anyways. Marlow is fascinated by Kurtz and kind of places him, or the idea of him (a brilliant yet evil man) on a pedestal; "I was seduced into something like admiration [for Kurtz]- like envy" (Conrad 43). What this relationship between Marlow and Kurtz means is that Marlow, and man himself, secretly enjoy the thoughts of being brilliant, successful, and idealistic as Kurtz yet being twisted at the same time. Kurtz's HEART OF DARKNESS is much more complex than Marlows, and Marlow probably envies him for having the willpower, (or lack of it) to indulge in it so much. Through this Conrad is also suggesting that every man has his own darkness, and own way of indulging in it. If that makes any sense. And to go along with Ryan just for fun, the way Marlow idealizes Kurtz and puts him on a pedestal also shows that humans are drawn to darkness. Conrad writes, "the mind of a man is capable of anything- because everything is in it, all the past as well as the future (Conrad 45). This basically says how something as seemingly complex and powerful like the human mind (or is this an allusion to Marlow...?) is easily susceptible to manipulation. But enough with these freaking juxtapositions for god's sake. It all boils down to in the end, Kurtz was a highly educated man who let his HEART OF DARKNESS take over him, and Marlow didn't. So Marlow probably resents and envies Kurtz for it. Because Marlow probably always wonders what his one life would be like if he had done the same. As in that mystery thing Ryan said.
Marlow's infatuation with Kurtz is directly related to Kurtz mysterious nature. Though not much is known about Kurtz, Marlow feels as though he has a deep connection with him because of all of the circulating rumors. He states that "[he] would be desolated if anything should happen to Mr. Kurtz before [they] came up"(38). Though Kurtz is an abstraction to Marlow, he is infatuated by what he hears about him, he wishes to fathom Kurtz's character without even meeting him. Marlow's character represents curiosity which is evident because he is always intrigued by Kurtz and the stories that are told about him. Kurtz represents a dark aspect of human nature: selfishness. Marlow states, " You sholud have heard [Kurtz] say,' My Intended, my ivory,my station, my river, my-' everything belonged to him....He had taken a high seat amongst the devils of the land"(44). In this description of Kurtz, his selfishness is clearly seen when he refers to everything as his own. This is also a parallel to human nature because humans tend to be possessive of anything and everything that they can claim to be theirs. When Marlow states that Kurtz had "a high seat amonts the devils of the land" it shows Kurtz's corrupt and self-interested nature. Both characters represent different characteristics of human nature, Marlow represents curiosity while Kurtz represents the darker side of human nature. Marlow's intrigue with Kurtz sparks from his curiosity in regards to the unknown. Kurtz is an abstraction to him. Kurtz's power stems from the tainted perspectives that are aroused by the numerous stories told about Kurtz. Though Kurtz may not even have power, it is given to him by word of mouth. His power and influence grow as stories continue to circulate.
We thought that this group's blog brought up some very intriguing points. A new insight that we discovered involved Clara's comment about the Heart of Darkness in a literal sense. It provides new ideas that each man is different due to thier acceptance or denial of thier heart of darkness. Each man has thier own way of expressing darkness. How does the heart of darkness of one person effect those of another group of people? How does Conrad's portrayal of the characters effect the reader's perception of thier heart of darkness?
The "heart of darkness" of one person can affect other around them in several ways, however the most obvious of these ways is the god-like presence that Kurtz holds over the native people. At the beginning of chapter III, the Russian explains to Marlow that, "it was only lately that Mr. Kurtz had come down to the river, bringing along with him all the fighting men of that lake tribe... with the intention to all appearances of making a raid either across the river or downstream". Kurtz's heart of darkness is his hunger for more capital and more ivory, and his willingness to get it by any means. By making the natives go with him to raid villages in order to obtain more ivory, his heart of darkness is affecting the heart of darkness of others, by making it stronger and more identical to his own, truly turning them into "savages", as they raid villages simply for more ivory. The way that Conrad portrays Kurtz as a god-like figure to the natives and even to Marlow can affect the perception of his heart of darkness by showing that he is willing to use the swaying power that he has over the natives in order to make his own financial gains. Also, the portrayal of the natives animal-like savages helps readers to characterize them as savage brutes who have no ability to think or control themselves, that being the reason they follow Kurtz so closely and religiously.
I want to clarify what I think the "heart of darkenss" is: in the context of this book, I believe it is any man indulging in his evil side, giving way to his immoral thoughts and justifying those actions.
That being said, I think that when any one person with even slight influence or power conveys any extreme emotion (like being furious or elated), people around him (especially naive or easily corrupted ones like the natives) are highly influenced by those actions and simply follow them. Ryan brought up a very interesting, and true point, when he said that when Kurtz absent-mindedly indulges his heart of darkness he unconsciously let his followers do the same, to theirs.
How Kurtz's acceptance of his HOD effects other people is that for some twisted reason, it makes them respect him more. The Harlequin says to Marlow, "You can't judge Mr. Kurtz as you would an ordinary man" (Conrad 56). Though the Harlequin knows of Kurtz's evils, he still excuses them by classifying Kurtz above the judgements of ordinary men. I think this is significant because it says a lot about human nature: once you have the respect of one person, or a group of people, it's pretty easy to convince them that your actions are justified all the time, no matter if they're good or bad.
I also think that by Kurtz showing his hod, it brings out the other men's hod as well. This can be seen, like Daly said, when Kurtz wants to obtain ivory no matter the cost. "The word 'ivory' rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed. You would think they were praying to it." As seen here the other men clearly want to get the ivory because it has a god like affect over the men and as a result it seems the pray to it. It's like they desire the ivory as they would desire god. All of these men think like this due to Kurtz initally wanting to get the ivory and opening up his hod. Kurtz's hod is obviously seen in the other men as they too also want the ivory no matter the cost.
I agree with Ryan and Clara regarding the extent of Kurtz's influence upon the natives. I especially agree with Clara's point regarding the fact that once one has earned the respect of a group, justifying any action is manageable. The extent of Kurtz's influence is seen with part of Clara's quote. " [Kurtz] came to [the natives] with thunder and lightening,you know-and they had never seen anything like it-and very terrible.He could be terrible. You can't judge Mr. Kurtz as you would an ordinary man"(51). By stating that Kurtz "could be a terrible man" but countering that statement by saying that the ordinary criteria of good and evil don't apply to Kurtz shows the extent of his influence. Those who follow him may see the immorality of Kurtz's actions but may disregard it because his followers view him as an abstraction. Kurtz's HOD is stemmed by Imperialism and he is plagued by selfishness. His influence over the natives brings about the HOD of the natives and the natives become plagued by apathy and dependence.
11 comments:
Looking at the Encounters between Marlow and Kurtz one can assume that man's nature is to imperialize. One can see man's nature when Marlow is reading Kurtz's pamphlet. When reading he comes across an exclamation that states "Exterminate all the brutes" (46). Knowing that Conrad believes that imperialism is a bad thing, it can be assumed that he will make anyone who does think that imperialism is good look malicious. With this said, a reader can assume that Kurtz believes in imperialism because Conrad has portrayed him as a malicious character by having him think this. We can also assume that Kurtz represents man's nature and its want to imperialize because many people follow Kurtz in this book, espetially Marlow which reveals something about Marlow.
I agree with Kevin's comment of how it's man's nature to want to control and take over. That's why Marlow admires Kurtz because he demonstrates control and represents power, a quality Marlow would like to have as well. The mystery surrounding Kurtz is also what attracts Marlow, the fact that many people talk about him in a way that gives him a reputation allows the reader to understand Marlow's want to meet the "famous" Kurtz.
Although Kevin makes some really good points concerning the answer to this question, I believe that the main lesson learned from Marlow's "encounters" with Kurtz is that it is in the nature of humans high up in social status (The Europeans) to view themselves a sort of supernatural power towards people of inferior status (the natives). In Kurtz's publication, which Marlow reads, he says, "We must necessarily appear to them [savages] in the nature of supernatural beings-- we approach them with the might as of a deity" (45). These profound proclamations by Kurtz reveal his true nature, which is a paternalistic emperor-like figure to the natives. Marlow views Mr. Kurtz as a mysterious, mystical character who must be explored fully to be understood. I think that this characterization of Kurtz is the reason that Marlow admires him so much. Kurtz is one of those "blank spaces in the map" and meeting him will help Marlow discover and unfold the mystery of this company. When speaking of Kurtz, Marlow says, "The thing was to know what he belonged to, how many powers of darkness claimed him for their own... He had taken a high seat amongst the devils of the land" (44). Connecting back to the topic of his god-like presence, Marlow realizes that Kurtz holds a mysterious power over the natives at Central Station ("a high seat amongst the devils of the land"), and Marlow's everlasting curiosity is sparked once again when he wishes to learn about Kurtz's god-like influence and the mysterious, unknown power over the natives.
I think Marlow's encounters and knowledge of Kurtz is a symbol of the more evil side of human nature. He's strictly in the novel so Marlow can see that the kind of "savagery" characterized by corruption and evil is just as existent in a familiar white man, as it is in the cannibals/natives he meets (where as in their case, savagery is characterized by acting, well, savage, a.k.a. "uncivilized" whatever that may be).
Anyways. Marlow is fascinated by Kurtz and kind of places him, or the idea of him (a brilliant yet evil man) on a pedestal; "I was seduced into something like admiration [for Kurtz]- like envy" (Conrad 43). What this relationship between Marlow and Kurtz means is that Marlow, and man himself, secretly enjoy the thoughts of being brilliant, successful, and idealistic as Kurtz yet being twisted at the same time. Kurtz's HEART OF DARKNESS is much more complex than Marlows, and Marlow probably envies him for having the willpower, (or lack of it) to indulge in it so much. Through this Conrad is also suggesting that every man has his own darkness, and own way of indulging in it. If that makes any sense.
And to go along with Ryan just for fun, the way Marlow idealizes Kurtz and puts him on a pedestal also shows that humans are drawn to darkness. Conrad writes, "the mind of a man is capable of anything- because everything is in it, all the past as well as the future (Conrad 45). This basically says how something as seemingly complex and powerful like the human mind (or is this an allusion to Marlow...?) is easily susceptible to manipulation. But enough with these freaking juxtapositions for god's sake. It all boils down to in the end, Kurtz was a highly educated man who let his HEART OF DARKNESS take over him, and Marlow didn't. So Marlow probably resents and envies Kurtz for it. Because Marlow probably always wonders what his one life would be like if he had done the same. As in that mystery thing Ryan said.
Marlow's infatuation with Kurtz is directly related to Kurtz mysterious nature. Though not much is known about Kurtz, Marlow feels as though he has a deep connection with him because of all of the circulating rumors. He states that "[he] would be desolated if anything should happen to Mr. Kurtz before [they] came up"(38). Though Kurtz is an abstraction to Marlow, he is infatuated by what he hears about him, he wishes to fathom Kurtz's character without even meeting him. Marlow's character represents curiosity which is evident because he is always intrigued by Kurtz and the stories that are told about him. Kurtz represents a dark aspect of human nature: selfishness. Marlow states, " You sholud have heard [Kurtz] say,' My Intended, my ivory,my station, my river, my-' everything belonged to him....He had taken a high seat amongst the devils of the land"(44). In this description of Kurtz, his selfishness is clearly seen when he refers to everything as his own. This is also a parallel to human nature because humans tend to be possessive of anything and everything that they can claim to be theirs. When Marlow states that Kurtz had "a high seat amonts the devils of the land" it shows Kurtz's corrupt and self-interested nature. Both characters represent different characteristics of human nature, Marlow represents curiosity while Kurtz represents the darker side of human nature. Marlow's intrigue with Kurtz sparks from his curiosity in regards to the unknown. Kurtz is an abstraction to him. Kurtz's power stems from the tainted perspectives that are aroused by the numerous stories told about Kurtz. Though Kurtz may not even have power, it is given to him by word of mouth. His power and influence grow as stories continue to circulate.
We thought that this group's blog brought up some very intriguing points. A new insight that we discovered involved Clara's comment about the Heart of Darkness in a literal sense. It provides new ideas that each man is different due to thier acceptance or denial of thier heart of darkness. Each man has thier own way of expressing darkness.
How does the heart of darkness of one person effect those of another group of people?
How does Conrad's portrayal of the characters effect the reader's perception of thier heart of darkness?
The "heart of darkness" of one person can affect other around them in several ways, however the most obvious of these ways is the god-like presence that Kurtz holds over the native people. At the beginning of chapter III, the Russian explains to Marlow that, "it was only lately that Mr. Kurtz had come down to the river, bringing along with him all the fighting men of that lake tribe... with the intention to all appearances of making a raid either across the river or downstream". Kurtz's heart of darkness is his hunger for more capital and more ivory, and his willingness to get it by any means. By making the natives go with him to raid villages in order to obtain more ivory, his heart of darkness is affecting the heart of darkness of others, by making it stronger and more identical to his own, truly turning them into "savages", as they raid villages simply for more ivory. The way that Conrad portrays Kurtz as a god-like figure to the natives and even to Marlow can affect the perception of his heart of darkness by showing that he is willing to use the swaying power that he has over the natives in order to make his own financial gains. Also, the portrayal of the natives animal-like savages helps readers to characterize them as savage brutes who have no ability to think or control themselves, that being the reason they follow Kurtz so closely and religiously.
(my quote was on page 52)
I want to clarify what I think the "heart of darkenss" is: in the context of this book, I believe it is any man indulging in his evil side, giving way to his immoral thoughts and justifying those actions.
That being said, I think that when any one person with even slight influence or power conveys any extreme emotion (like being furious or elated), people around him (especially naive or easily corrupted ones like the natives) are highly influenced by those actions and simply follow them. Ryan brought up a very interesting, and true point, when he said that when Kurtz absent-mindedly indulges his heart of darkness he unconsciously let his followers do the same, to theirs.
How Kurtz's acceptance of his HOD effects other people is that for some twisted reason, it makes them respect him more. The Harlequin says to Marlow, "You can't judge Mr. Kurtz as you would an ordinary man" (Conrad 56). Though the Harlequin knows of Kurtz's evils, he still excuses them by classifying Kurtz above the judgements of ordinary men. I think this is significant because it says a lot about human nature: once you have the respect of one person, or a group of people, it's pretty easy to convince them that your actions are justified all the time, no matter if they're good or bad.
I also think that by Kurtz showing his hod, it brings out the other men's hod as well. This can be seen, like Daly said, when Kurtz wants to obtain ivory no matter the cost. "The word 'ivory' rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed. You would think they were praying to it." As seen here the other men clearly want to get the ivory because it has a god like affect over the men and as a result it seems the pray to it. It's like they desire the ivory as they would desire god. All of these men think like this due to Kurtz initally wanting to get the ivory and opening up his hod. Kurtz's hod is obviously seen in the other men as they too also want the ivory no matter the cost.
I agree with Ryan and Clara regarding the extent of Kurtz's influence upon the natives. I especially agree with Clara's point regarding the fact that once one has earned the respect of a group, justifying any action is manageable. The extent of Kurtz's influence is seen with part of Clara's quote. " [Kurtz] came to [the natives] with thunder and lightening,you know-and they had never seen anything like it-and very terrible.He could be terrible. You can't judge Mr. Kurtz as you would an ordinary man"(51). By stating that Kurtz "could be a terrible man" but countering that statement by saying that the ordinary criteria of good and evil don't apply to Kurtz shows the extent of his influence. Those who follow him may see the immorality of Kurtz's actions but may disregard it because his followers view him as an abstraction. Kurtz's HOD is stemmed by Imperialism and he is plagued by selfishness. His influence over the natives brings about the HOD of the natives and the natives become plagued by apathy and dependence.
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