Insight into Heart of Darkness
There have been few novels that have had the ability to change my perspectivesabout life and the world around us. Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, is not one ofthem. Not because I disagree with or dislike his work. He can't, after all, change my outlookon life if he and I share the same opinions. One such thing is reflected in how our viewof Kurtz is not too far from Marlow's own, in the beginning, middle, or end of the book. This is, of course, not to say that our opinions and views of Kurtz do not change. Farfrom it. However, as Marlow's myopic views of Kurtz melt away in the light of truth(which ironically revealed nothing but darkness), ours do as well. Our view of Kurtz is that he is a great man. A man that defies description andconventional beleif and methods. A man who "all Europe" was responsible for themaking of. Put simply, Kurtz appears to be that last bastion of civilization in the "Heartof Darkness." The reader begins to want to see Kurtz in order to experience hisgreatness. Kurtz Kurtz Kurtz. It's truly all one can think about. We HAVE to see Kurtzso that we will find out just what all the hubbub is about. As I said before, our views parallel Marlow's. Marlow becomes
That heholds such influence over large amounts of people, both European and Native,speaks very highly of him. It was life; hollow, nihilistic, empty, and pointless. For, you see, I am of the opinion that MarlowIS Kurtz (which is why I said opposites attract earlier on). The moment it's effects are gone, you revert back towhat you are. We are made to realize that Kurtz is not a bastion of civility, buthe is still a great man, as Marlow comes to admit. Marlow realizes this and the thought of it frightens him because he knows that the samething could very well happen to him, which is one of the reasons, I beleive that Marlowexpressed the ultimate truth at the end of the book with a lie. If someone thinks of another as a "good-hearted" person, they would do well toremember that that "good heart" is literally and metaphorically engulfed in darkness,never to see the light of day. We all haveevil within us, and if you were to remove us from the civilization that created us, then wewould become what we truly are. He has seen what "civilized men" are capable of when the ties thatbind are cut. It isthe truth purely, and simply. He then hears that "all Europe contributed to the making of Kurtz.
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Acceptance Essays
