1994 AP Prompt

In the novel Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, the character of Mr. Kurtz is spoken about frequently by Marlow and his shipmates. However, the true character of Mr. Kurtz is revealed only very briefly when Marlow finally makes his way down the river to Kurtz's domain. The brief meeting of Kurtz and the introduction of his eccentric personality drastically change Marlow's views of the ivory business and forebode the corruption that awaits Marlow if he continues down this path. The short amount of time Marlow spends with Kurtz lead's to Marlow's final realization that he must leave the Congo at once.

Before meeting with Kurtz, Marlow's view of the world, and specifically the ivory business, is one of adventure and romance. One of Marlow's reasons for accepting a job as a river boat captain is to follow the romantic appeal of the unknown. Marlow is constantly compared to Mr. Kurtz. Mr. Kurtz is an example of a man who has traveled into the unknown and has conquered the wild. His station is renowned as the highest producing station and he is revered by the other agents of the company. As he is compared to Kurtz, Marlow's view of this man develops. In his Marlow's mind, Kurtz is an ambitious worker, a brilliant example of Western superiority and it's ability to tame the barbaric unknown. However when Marlow finally encounters Kurtz, when he finally reaches the end of his journey, he is shocked at what he finds.

Unlike any previous descriptions Marlow has heard, Mr. Kurtz is just as wild as the natives that surround him. This the climactic moment when Marlow realizes that power has the ability to corrupt. Immediately before Marlow reaches Kurtz, he finds a journal written by Mr Kurtz. The journal details the ambitions of a once benevolent Kurtz. However, all actions preformed by Kurtz are in direct contrast to his journal writings. Kurtz has changed and this change has stemmed from the corrupting ability of the power bestowed to him. The Western superiority mindset has plagued Kurtz and has turned him into something that is no less than barbaric. Marlow describes Kurtz as unable to be appealed to. His power has bestowed upon him a selfish and ruthless demeanor.

This pivotal point in the novel contradicts all that has been said previously in the text. The power of the west is revealed to not be benevolent; and truly, the wild has not been conquered, it has merely absorbed Kurtz and the ivory business with it. In the short time Marlow spends with Kurtz, Marlow realizes the imminent fate he faces if he continues on the path into the wild. The corrupting force of power is all mighty, and it will condemn all those who flirt with it. This message is delivered in the very short time that Kurtz appears. Kurtz is the vessel in which Marlow is taught his lesson: the power of the West is not a benevolent force that will open the unknown, it is a corrupting evil power which merely adopts the practices of the wild.