intro

Conrad’s Heart of Darkness exhibits Marlow’s journey to the center of the immoral darkness to rescue the notorious Kurtz from his death. However, the deeper Marlow travels into the heart of Africa, the more he becomes fascinated by Kurtz, shedding light to Kurtz as a symbol of the jungle and as a god-like figure to his ‘disciples’.  Moreover, as Marlow travels thicker into the chaotic jungle, the more he hears about Kurtz as a person, as a superior, and as a controller, thus revealing what seems like the harsh, intense reality. However, in actuality, there is an ”absurd gap between what we profess to be and what we are” (Karl, 125), and such applies perfectly to the appearance of Kurtz versus the reality of Kurtz. As Marlow arouses about his fascination of Kurtz, he never discovers who Kurtz really is, thus solely understanding what he ‘seems’ or even claims to be. Therefore, the way Kurtz is introduced to Marlow not only creates obsession and compulsion by Marlow and his other followers, but also an invisible yet true gap between who Kurtz really is and who Kurtz wants to be, constantly building up a large, authoritative ‘mask’ who powerfully controls the dark area of the Congo; however, revealed by his ultimate death, Kurtz is truly a weak, inadequate, and corrupted human being.