Kurtz
Kurtz is the most important figure in Heart of Darkness. One of the most enigmatic characters in twentieth-
century literature, Kurtz is a petty tyrant, a dying god, an embodiment of Europe, and an assault on European
values. These contradictory elements combine to make Kurtz so fascinating to Marlow — and so
threatening to the Company. Joseph Conrad reveals little about him through the action in the book. We are
introduced to this enigmatic character through various events and other persons. His role is a series of
images constructed by others.
Kurtz’s mother was half-English and his father was half-French. Educated partly in England and partly in
other countries, he was a great genius. Conrad presented him as an efficient agent, a painter, a journalist, a
musician, a great conversationalist and a great man who could win over the heart of natives. The
International Society for the suppression of the Savage Customs had entrusted him with the making of the
report, for his future guidance, which when prepared was very eloquent. Almost every person shares a good
and sometimes high opinion about Kurtz as he has affected all their lives differently. His cousin tells
Marlow that Kurtz was a great musician and humanitarian and concludes him as a genius. The Belgian
journalist offers another image of Kurtz. He refers him as a brilliant politician and leader. Kurtz’s Intended
saw him as a loving, devoted and caring person. She obviously had no idea that he was having an affair
with a native woman in Africa.
Kurtz had come to the dark country with high aspirations and ideals. His stay here was a sort of test of his
personality- the test of lofty ideals against the dark powers of the wilderness. In this test Kurtz failed.
Besides betraying the humanity in him, he also betrayed the natives and reduced them to poverty and
subservience; deprived them of their dignity and will. However, he himself reduced to be a hollow man.
Kurtz degradation may largely be attributed to his utter lack of restraint. Also, at the inner station he is
deprived of the support and restraint of his society. In this wilderness, there is nothing to prevent him.
However, there is no doubt that he was a daring person. Unlike the agents who rejected the challenge of the
dark wilderness, Kurtz went to the extreme in his exploration.
He came to Congo to explore the area, but soon his aim was to collect ivory. This brings forth his greediness.
Though one can notice Kurtz was not without moral awareness. He remains conscious of his cold-blooded
exploitation towards the natives. Their treatment of him almost as a deity gave him pleasure but this was
followed by his intensifying moral awareness. Thus, Kurtz can be seen as a white man who is conscious of
his sinister aspect, though he himself falls prey to the odious primitivism. If Kurtz has fallen he has fallen
from a considerable height and Marlow finds in his fall a sign of superiority. He feels that Kurtz possesses,
an inextinguishable gift of noble and lofty expression.
The last words ‘the horror! the horror!’ uttered by Kurtz before his death comes as a final judgement of the
adventures that his soul has gone through on the earth. But Marlow feels that these words express some sort
of belief. They show candour and conviction and may be interpreted as an affirmation and a moral victory
over all the innumerable defeats of Kurtz in his life.
Therefore, Kurtz is a symbolic figure who represents White man’s greed and commercial mentality. He can
also be seen as a symbol of hypocrisy of civilizing the African savages. He also represents the European
men’s love of power and a thirst to rule over the backward classes of the globe even at the cost of basic
principles of humanity.
