Heart Of Darkness
?Kurtz is a disturbing symbol of madness and despair, but he does not dominate the novel. Would you agree?
Kurtz is definitely a disturbing symbol in Heart of Darkness, embodying the gloom, the despair, the ?impenetrable darkness? of the unknown jungle, the darkness inherent in all men?s hearts but he does not dominate the novel. It is Marlow?s perception, his ever changing understanding of the darkness and its many elements from afar and up close, that fills the novel, creates its many layers. It is his indeed this intense journey to Kurtz, Marlow?s journey of discovery on all levels that dominates Joseph Conrad?s novella, Heart of Darkness.
Marlow?s journey to Kurtz has many levels, each profound and meaningful. Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the novel is Conrad?s powerful indictment of the evils of imperialism. – ?The dreams of men, the seeds of men, the germs of empires.? His account in HOD perhaps reflects the savage repressions carried out in the Congo by the Belgians in one of the largest acts of genocide committed up to that time. And yet, Marlow, the central character in the novel seems to be simultaneously a good liberal identifying humanity within
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