Table of Contents
- 1 Why does Kurtz meet Marlow?
- 2 What does Marlow resent about his first meeting with Kurtz?
- 3 How did Marlow and Kurtz meet?
- 4 What is the relationship between Marlow and Kurtz?
- 5 Where is Kurtz when Marlow arrives in the Congo?
- 6 What does the Russian Tell Marlow to do with Kurtz?
- 7 What does Marlow say to the manager in heart of Darkness?
- 8 Who is Kurtz in the heart of Darkness?
- 9 What was the tragic flaw in Kurtz’s life?
Why does Kurtz meet Marlow?
Only when Marlow fears that Kurtz is dead immediately following the native attack on the steamboat does he realize that he wishes to have “a talk with Kurtz.” A careful reading of Marlow’s subsequent narrative will reveal that Marlow is looking for either an affirmation of his hopes about mankind or a confirmation …
What does Marlow resent about his first meeting with Kurtz?
What does Marlow resent about his first meeting with Kurtz? Kurtz has the power to make the natives do anything, including kill him. Marlow claims the meaning of Kurtz’s name is as true as everything else in his life- and death.
How did Marlow and Kurtz meet?
When Marlow finally reaches the Inner Station, he meets Kurtz when a group of native Africans bears him down in a stretcher. He’s not looking too good, but he still has the voice of a radio announcer. Kurtz has a private interview with the manager and they argue.
Who is the first person Marlow meets?
Mr. Kurtz
Marlow spends ten days here waiting for a caravan to the next station. One day, the chief accountant tells him that in the interior he will undoubtedly meet Mr. Kurtz, a first-class agent who sends in as much ivory as all the others put together and is destined for advancement.
What is Kurtz doing when Marlow finds him?
He finds a trail in the grass and realizes that Kurtz must be crawling on all fours. Kurtz tells him to go away and hide, and Marlow looks over and sees the imposing figure of a native sorcerer silhouetted against the fire. Marlow asks Kurtz if he knows what he is doing, and Kurtz replies emphatically that he does.
What is the relationship between Marlow and Kurtz?
Marlow became Kurtz’s trustee, it was up to him to keep the reputation of Kurtz after his death. He became Kurtz’s trustee because he was the last person that Kurtz saw before he took his last breath, and of course he feels a profound connection to Marlow.
Where is Kurtz when Marlow arrives in the Congo?
Up the river Almost as soon as he arrives in the Congo, Marlow begins to hear rumours about another company employee, Kurtz, who is stationed deep in the interior of the country, hundreds of miles up the Congo River.
What does the Russian Tell Marlow to do with Kurtz?
The Russian whispers to Marlow that if Kurtz says the word, they’ll all be killed. Kurtz speaks (Marlow can’t hear him from so far away), and the natives melt back into the jungle. Kurtz, the epitome of civilized man, has transformed himself into a god to the natives.
How does Marlow describe Kurtz?
Marlow repeatedly characterizes Kurtz as a voice, suggesting that eloquence is his defining trait. But when Marlow discovers him, Kurtz has become so ruthless and rapacious that even the other managers are shocked. He refers to the ivory as his own and sets himself up as a primitive god to the natives.
Why does Marlow think Kurtz is a friend?
Since they are “friends” Marlow does not judge Kurtz’s actions, instead, Marlow explains Kurtz’s condition that lead to his madness. This protection that Marlow is doing is because he associates himself with Kurtz’s he sees him like his alter ego.
What does Marlow say to the manager in heart of Darkness?
Thoroughly disgusted by the manager’s hypocritical condemnation of Kurtz, Marlow tells the manager that he thinks Kurtz is a “remarkable man.” With this statement, Marlow permanently alienates himself from the manager and the rest of the Company functionaries.
Who is Kurtz in the heart of Darkness?
Kurtz has become an entirely self-sufficient unit, a man who has “kicked himself loose of the earth.” In a way, the Russian trader is right to claim that Kurtz cannot be judged by normal standards.
What was the tragic flaw in Kurtz’s life?
For Marlow, Kurtz’s tragic flaw is that he immersed himself too much in the African culture that he turned his back on European ideals. “He had kicked himself loose of the earth” (Conrad, 1898, p.112). Marlow blames Africa for causing the downfall of Kurtz and not directly blame Kurt for his actions.