Essay on the downfall of kurtz - 1272 Words

The Downfall of Kurtz Enveloped within Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness, Kurtz fails for many reasons and in many ways. Kurtzs failure is especially tragic because he once had the potential for great success. He was an eloquent, powerful, and persuasive speaker who at one point was adored by all the inhabitants of the heart of darkness, the great and mysterious jungle. Everyone from the innocent natives to the administration of his corrupt company was in awe of him. Why then, did someone with such amazing promise fail? nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Even from the beginning, Kurtz was made out to be an icon, an idol. To Marlow, he was the only thing that made sense in the company, on a journey, in a wilderness full of confusion. The†¦show more content†¦The manager was continuously described as nothing more than ordinary, thus it was not shocking to learn of the corruption that he encouraged in the company. Mr. Kurtz was the quot;chief of the inner stationquot; (Conrad, pg. 28). He was quot;in charge of a trading post, a very important one, in the true ivory country.quot; Kurtz sent in quot;as much ivory as all the others put togetherquot; (Conrad, pg. 22). The company described him as the quot;best agent, an exceptional man, of the greatest importance to the companyquot; (Conrad, pg. 25). Kurtz went to the jungle for many reasons, but mostly to make money to return to Europe and marry his intended. Marlow quot;heard that her engagement with Kurtz had been disapproved by her people. He wasnt rich enough or something.quot; He had given Marlow quot;some reason to infer that it was his impatience of comparative poverty that drove him out therequot; (Conrad, pg. 74). He had been driven into the jungle to procure money for the company and for himself and for his life with his intended. Greed is what kept him out there so long and clouded his mind regarding thoughts of nobility. Spending so much time in the savage jungle dehumanized Kurtz. He lost sight of the thin line between goodness and corruption, as did many others before him. Kurtz ended up raiding the country on his frequent ivory expeditions. He had a tendency to become cruel, once even threatening to kill his friend, the Russian. This makes the readerShow MoreRelatedThe Heart Of Darkness By Joseph Conrad1255 Words   |  6 Pagesof it. Marlow embarked on a spiritual adventure to the Congo, where he witnesses Kurtz, the man he has come so far to meet is engulfed in greed and has the natives look up to him as a godlike figure. Conrad tells the tale of a mans psychological journey in ones mind as he progresses through the jungle. Marlow’s psychological changes become evident when he approaches the heart of darkness and begins to respect Kurtz for his conniving ways in which he used to hate. Conrad tries to show a connectionRead MoreKurtzs Affect on Other Characters in Heart of Darkness Essay56 8 Words   |  3 Pagesamount of time but have a great affect on the story. 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