Marlow starts out as just as everyman, trying to put some bread on the table. His original plans were setting out to make money, but his journey turns into so much more. Not long afterward, year- old Kurtz applied for the 5th Special Forces Group, which was denied out of hand because his age was too advanced for Special Forces training. The enigmatic character Kurtz could be considered a tragic hero because he is a talented and powerful individual whose excessive pride and flawed perception leads to his demise in the jungle.
A tragic hero must also be capable of virtuous acts and fall victim to their hamartia tragic flaw. This is the reason why I affirm that Kurtz was a remarkable man. Marlow and Kurtz are the only ones named because they do not hide who they are, everybody else does not see the truth, and they are the only ones who achieve enlightenment.
The two men are not afraid to openly show themselves. Kurtz is a central fictional character in Joseph Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness. A trader of ivory in Africa and commander of a trading post, he monopolises his position as a demigod among native Africans. As Marlow makes his journey up the river all he can think about is Kurtz.
In this mission to find Kurtz , Marlow compares everyone he meets to him. He does this because Kurtz was able, on his deathbed, to judge what he had done was wrong. The horror! Kurtz is initially sent to the Congo to bring back ivory for the Company.
Kurtz is obsessed with his own power. He can control men through his voice and his physical prowess, and has set himself up as almost a god among his men and the natives. Only his sickness causes him to lose that power. Generally, it implies the horror Kurtz witnesses in Africa, though the horror could be the exploitation of Africa, evil practices of humans, his crumbling sanity, or an illusion of understanding and hope. Thus, it is Kurtz's realization of the bitter and absolute truth of his life.
Darkness becomes a symbol of hatred, fear and symbol of the power of evil. Marlow begins his story believing that these elements exists within the jungle, then with the natives and finally makes the realization that darkness lives within the heart of each man, even himself.
Marlow symbolizes the spirit of adventure and the love of exploration. Important Quotes Explained. Characters Kurtz. Previous section Marlow Next section Russian Trader. Popular pages: Heart of Darkness. Take a Study Break. He owes his success to a hardy constitution that allows him to outlive all his competitors.
He is average in appearance and unremarkable in abilities, but he possesses a strange capacity to produce uneasiness in those around him, keeping everyone sufficiently unsettled for him to exert his control over them.
The brickmaker, whom Marlow also meets at the Central Station, is a favorite of the manager and seems to be a kind of corporate spy. He never actually produces any bricks, as he is supposedly waiting for some essential element that is never delivered.
He is petty and conniving and assumes that other people are too. An efficient worker with an incredible habit of dressing up in spotless whites and keeping himself absolutely tidy despite the squalor and heat of the Outer Station, where he lives and works. He is one of the few colonials who seems to have accomplished anything: he has trained a native woman to care for his wardrobe.
The bumbling, greedy agents of the Central Station. They carry long wooden staves with them everywhere, reminding Marlow of traditional religious travelers. They all want to be appointed to a station so that they can trade for ivory and earn a commission, but none of them actually takes any effective steps toward achieving this goal. They are obsessed with keeping up a veneer of civilization and proper conduct, and are motivated entirely by self-interest. They hate the natives and treat them like animals, although in their greed and ridiculousness they appear less than human themselves.
Natives hired as the crew of the steamer, a surprisingly reasonable and well-tempered bunch. Marlow respects their restraint and their calm acceptance of adversity. The leader of the group, in particular, seems to be intelligent and capable of ironic reflection upon his situation. A Russian sailor who has gone into the African interior as the trading representative of a Dutch company.
He is boyish in appearance and temperament, and seems to exist wholly on the glamour of youth and the audacity of adventurousness. His brightly patched clothes remind Marlow of a harlequin.
0コメント