Marlow tells the story of his journey to the Congo. The River Thames is a 346 km long river running through London and southern England.
Who tells the story of the journey up the Congo River to meet Kurtz in Heart of Darkness?
Heart of Darkness centers around Marlow , an introspective sailor, and his journey up the Congo River to meet Kurtz, reputed to be an idealistic man of great abilities. Marlow takes a job as a riverboat captain with the Company, a Belgian concern organized to trade in the Congo.
Who first mentions Kurtz in Heart of Darkness?
Marlow first mentions Kurtz’s Intended two-thirds of the way into his story, during a digression in which he claims that women belong in a separate reality, and that men “must help them to stay in that beautiful world of their own.” When Marlow visits Kurtz’s Intended in London one year after the man’s death, he finds ...
Who is the narrator of Conrad’s novel that involves a boat trip up the Congo River to inner station?
Synopsis. Charles Marlow , the narrator, tells his story to friends aboard Nellie, a boat anchored on the River Thames near Gravesend, of how he became captain of a river steamboat for an ivory trading company.
Who talks about meeting Kurtz in Heart of Darkness?
The Russian trader begs Marlow to take Kurtz away quickly. He recounts for Marlow his initial meeting with Kurtz, telling him that Kurtz and the trader spent a night camped in the forest together, during which Kurtz discoursed on a broad range of topics.
Why does Kurtz say the horror?
What do Kurtz’s last words mean? Kurtz’s last words—“The horror! ... More likely, these words reflect Kurtz’s failure to achieve his many lofty goals and fulfill his destiny , and he cannot help but utter in despair as the emptiness of his own life envelopes him.
What does Kurtz symbolize in Heart of Darkness?
Kurtz, one of the leading characters, the other being Marlow, the narrator of the soty, represents many symbols in the novel. Firstly, he symbolizes the greed and the commercial mentality of the white people of the western countries . Secondly, he symbolizes the white man’s love of power.
Why do the natives like Kurtz?
In Heart of Darkness, the natives adore Kurtz and worship him as a demigod partly because of his personal charisma , but also because he has superior European technology which they have never seen before.
Who is with Kurtz when he dies?
In his dying words as in his life, though, Kurtz creates an enigma, an object for contemplation, which certainly is something. His legacy, in fact, would seem to be Marlow , who, like the Russian trader, seems to have had his mind “enlarged” by Kurtz.
Is Kurtz good or bad?
The primary antagonist in Heart of Darkness is Kurtz, whose descent into madness makes him the clearest embodiment of corruption and evil in the novella, and ultimately the character that fully disillusions Marlow in regard to European conquests. Marlow learns more about Kurtz the further he travels. ...
Why is Congo called the Heart of Darkness?
The dense forest of the “Democratic republic of Congo” is called as the heart of darkness because the vegetation of democratic republic of Congo is dense . Explanation: The vegetation on the inner forest is too dense for any kind of quick travel, so the river helps the characters physically move more regularly.
Did Joseph Conrad go to the Congo?
Joseph Conrad, 1916. Conrad was in the Congo for four months , returning to England in January 1891. He made several more voyages as a first mate, but by 1894, when his guardian Tadeusz Bobrowski died, his sea life was over.
Why is it called Heart of Darkness?
The phrase ‘Heart of Darkness’ refers to the inmost region of Africa (which was in those times still in the process of being explored) and the black people who still led primitive lives. The title is appropriate for the novel because Marlow has described his experiences of the Congo and people of Congo .
Why did Marlow choose Kurtz as his nightmare?
The facts about Kurtz would have remained unknown had Marlow not recalled this story. Choosing Kurtz as his “nightmare” acknowledges that Marlow has in fact some control over his choices and he is able to “awake” from this one , hopefully a better person.
What are Kurtz last words?
Kurtz dies on the boat with the last words, “ The horror! The horror! ” Kurtz ultimately was changed by the jungle. At first he wanted to bring civilization to the natives, as his painting shows, but by the end he wants to “exterminate all the brutes!”
Why is Marlow obsessed with Kurtz?
Marlow becomes fascinated with Kurtz and wants to see if he has maintained his civility . He also wants to see if the rumors surrounding Kurtz are true. Meeting Kurtz becomes Marlow’s main focus after he realizes that the Company is full of inefficient, greedy individuals.
