Ever since we were little we have always been taught that
there is a difference between right and wrong. However, what many adults fail
to mention is that there are times when this difference isn’t as apparent as
one would want it to be. There are times when we do not know whether a thought,
an action, or even a person is good or bad, and such is the case with Mr.
Kurtz. Even after having finished Heart
of Darkness, the reader still has several questions left unanswered, not
only about the nature of good vs. evil, but about the nature of human kind as a
whole. Do we develop our hatred towards those we consider inferior or are we
taught to be this way? Are we born dark and heartless or are we forced to act
like this by society?
At the beginning of the story, Kurtz is presented to us a mystery.
He represents the unknown, the desired, the incredible. As the story
progresses, Marlow (and therefore the reader) hears stories of other white men
talking about Mr. Kurtz as a wealthy and powerful man who is one of the
greatest ivory traders in the region. However, we can tell that his fellow
company employees resent him, and Marlow can't seem to figure out why. The real
surprise comes when the reader realizes that the natives defend this intriguing
character. How can someone so wealthy and powerful be hated by his equals, yet
loved by his inferiors?
Mr. Kurtz defies the reality of the time by associating with
the natives, up to the point of having a native lover. He defies the rules
society had set and that is why he cannot go back to Europe. He would be judged
and excluded because all Europeans had grown up with the idea that the idea of
colonizing was to take everything the natives had to offer with little regards
to their safety and integrity. They were considered worthless and inferior, and
when Kurtz decided to disregard this, he changed his reality.
Ever since we were little we have always been taught that
there is a difference between right and wrong, but is there?
be careful to balance summary with analysis
ReplyDeletenext time try using some shorter sentence to give variety to your style and to emphasize important points you want to make.