Heart of Darkness Commentary - 893 Words

Tiffany Thet November 26, 2011 IB English Year 1 Heart of Darkness Commentary Heart of Darkness is a novella written by Conrad, a parallel of the very experiences that Conrad has gone through and ultimately a look at human nature at its lowest and cruelest form. The book 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, as if he was a deity. Ultimately Kurtz’s mental collapse and subsequent monstrosities culminate into a tragic anti-climatic death in which Kurtz utters the dying words â€Å"The horror! The horror!† His dying words seem to reflect Kurtz own feelings and realizations of his very being, his demise and his regret for†¦show more content†¦This is also coupled with the fact that the words are emphasized with exclamation points despite the fact that it was â€Å"a cry that was no more than a breath† further drives home the sense of urgency and pain that Kurtz’s last moments on Earth were. In the context of the structure and the moment in the novel that it takes place it only further cause the reader to have a sense of pity towards Kurtz. His dying words come at an almost anti-climatic stage of the novel further eliciting the sense of pity and regret that surrounds Kurtz. It’s an abrupt ending to this once god-like character which seemed to be â€Å"above† everyone. Conrad’s use of separating his dying words from the passage that describes his death leaves the reader feeling disjointed and makes the death seem almost broken further fueling the sense of regret and pain that surrounds Kurtz’s last words. Ultimately, whether or not Kurtz finds redemption in death the reader may never know however perhaps it is not the brutality, nor the madness, perhaps not even the dark realizations of the character that is Kurtz’s legacy. Perhaps it is Kurtz’s potential for, in spite of his twisted and psychotic mind, greatness and sheer ambition that will be his legacy. Perhaps this is what Conrad wants us to merely see in Kurtz’s dying words, perhaps this is all we untouched humans will see: theShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Joseph Conrad s Heart Of Darkness1250 Words   |  5 Pages Written in 1902, Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness follows the character Marlow in his journey up the Congo River to find the mysterious Kurtz, an ivory trader. 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