Heart Of Darkness Why Does Marlow Tell The Story

Many like himself suppress these evil urges while others like kurtz succumb to them.

Heart of darkness why does marlow tell the story. For the modern reader it s important to know a bit about european colonialism hopefully you ve studied this in class. Explain the irony behind the simile of marlow describing kurtz s head as an ivory ball. His journey up the congo however proves to be much more than a thrilling episode. This harlequin informs marlow that kurtz is a god.

At the end of the heart of darkness marlow betrays his morals by telling a huge lie to kurtz s intended in order to protect the intended from the painful truth to prevent the darkness of the jungle from having a prolonged effect and to continue his own loyalty to kurtz and protect kurtz s reputation. All marlow can offer these dying men are a few pieces of biscuit and despite the fact that marlow is not particularly tender the situation troubles him. Kurtz is a symbol for avarice that consumed him. Marlow is about to tell the story of a dark and primitive africa which the europeans are so kindly civilizing but he reminds you that europe too was once a dark and primitive place.

Heart of darkness is mostly made up of his story about his journey into the belgian congo. He was chosen by the wilderness to share its secrets and the price is his humanity. We finally meet kurtz who s so ill he s carried out on a stretcher. Marlow s met by a weird russian dressed like a clown.

From the start the audience understands that this is to be a recollection. I could not tell her. Marlow naturally thinks that both this harlequin and kurtz must be bonkers. From the start marlow takes this whole noble imperialism bit with a boulder of salt telling his listeners that strength is just an accident arising from the.

Marlow s horror at the grove suggests that the true evils of this colonial enterprise are dehumanization and death. For marlow the grove is the dark heart of the station. Such a reader may wonder why conrad would make heart of darkness a frame tale at all and not simply begin with marlow telling the story as many first person narratives do. Instead his experiences there teach marlow about the heart of darkness found in all men.

Attack signals kurtz s death and marlow won t have the chance to hear kurtz. Thus marlow s metaphor is that the heart. The reason is that conrad s frame narrator like the reader learns that his ideas about european imperialism are founded on a number of lies that he has wholeheartedly believed. Marlow s purpose in telling this story is to chronicle of imperial rule at the time.

As a young man marlow wished to explore the blank places on the map because he longed for adventure. He has apparently expanded the harlequin s worldview with his power and eloquence.