In the Heart of
Darkness, the character of Kurtz, a chief of the Inner Station in
colonized Congo, can be seen as a dominating figure while readers get to know
him through word of mouth. Throughout most of the text, the enigmatic character
is presented from the other character's point of view or from the protagonist,
Marlow.
Character Sketch of Kurtz
Kurtz is defined as
talented, intelligent, ambitious a tyrant, and a demigod who symbolizes European society. Not only about his capability of leading men,
but he is also an orator, musician, painter, writer, etc. The initial aim of
Kurtz was to take a journey to Africa in order to civilize, improvise, and educate
the natives. Once in the darkness and wilderness of the Congo forests with no external
checks over him, Kurtz transformed into a plunderer and a murderer of the natives
as an evil genius.
To prove his worth in
front of his masters as a ‘first-class agent’, he obtained more ivory through
his “unsound method” as the manager complained. All of the humanitarian motives of
Kurtz were left behind and brutality was his only face. The company might be sucking
out the Congolese resources in the veil of civilisation, but Kurtz did not even
mask himself behind the good intentions. Marlow commented at one place, “All
Europe contributed to the making of Kurtz”.
It was due to his
corrupt personality that he was deprived of any social morality, which is why
he was regarded as ‘a hollow man’ too.
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