Why does Marlow lie at the end of Heart of Darkness?

Why does Marlow lie at the end of Heart of Darkness?

Marlow lies to Kurtz’s Intended to spare her the painful reality of her fianc’s descent into madness and evil. Marlow lies that the last word Kurtz uttered was his fiance’s name because it would have been too dark to tell her that Kurtz last spoke of pure and desolate horror.

Why does Marlow lie to the Brickmaker?

The lie was to allow the brick maker to think he had more influence in the company than he actually had. This lie would help Kurtz in two ways. Firstly it would help Marlow to get the rivets he needed to fix the boat, and that would provide Kurtz with a means of communication, or a way out of the jungle.

What does Marlow say about lying in Part 1?

I hate lies, not because I’m a more honest than everyone else, but because lies are like death to me. Lying makes me feel sick, like I’m biting into something rotten.

What is the ending of Heart of Darkness?

When she asks about Kurtz’s final words, Marlow lies: your name, he tells her. Marlow’s story ends there. Heart of Darkness itself ends as the narrator, one of Marlow’s audience, sees a mass of brooding clouds gathering on the horizonwhat seems to him to be heart of an immense darkness.

Why did Kurtz say the horror the horror?

The horror!” (3.43). Marlow interprets this for us, saying that these words are the moment Kurtz realizes exactly how depraved human nature is—that his inability to exert even a shred of self-control is the same darkness in every human heart.

What is the moral of Heart of Darkness?

The novella, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad has a strong theme of morality. Conrad’s goal using morality is moral confusion. The main character Charlie Marlow sets out on a journey with the European Ivory Trade to Africa. During this journey he discovers a dark dilemma of moral ethics.

What is the message in Heart of Darkness?

Heart of Darkness was first published as a three-part serial story in Blackwood’s Magazine. Central to Conrad’s work is the idea that there is little difference between “civilised people” and those described as “savages.” Heart of Darkness implicitly comments on imperialism and racism.

What are the major themes in Heart of Darkness?

ThemesThe Hypocrisy of Imperialism. Heart of Darkness explores the issues surrounding imperialism in complicated ways. Madness as a Result of Imperialism. Madness is closely linked to imperialism in this book. The Absurdity of Evil. Futility. Contradiction and Ambivalence.

Why is Heart of Darkness important?

This is a more complicated kind of Conrad reference. Here, “heart of darkness” is a shorthand for European stereotypes of Africa, which Conrad’s novel did its part to reinforce. Hamid’s line plays on racist anxieties about immigration: the idea that certain places and peoples are primitive, exotic, dangerous.

What is the main conflict in Heart of Darkness?

major conflict Both Marlow and Kurtz confront a conflict between their images of themselves as “civilized” Europeans and the temptation to abandon morality completely once they leave the context of European society.

Why is it called Heart of Darkness?

Joseph Conrad’s most read novella Heart of Darkness has double meaning in its title. One dictionary meaning is that the title refers to the interior of the Africa called Congo. Another hidden meaning is, the title stands for the darkness or the primitiveness that every person possesses in his or her mind and heart.

How long is the heart of darkness?

38,000 words

What does Kurtz symbolize in Heart of Darkness?

Kurtz symbolizes the far end of where greed can take you. Kurtz also represents the love of power the white colonizers have as well as the influence they have over the natives. Kurtz is the ultimate power at his Inner Station, and he sets himself up basically as the natives’ god, as far as ultimate influence goes.

What were Kurtz last words?

Kurtz dies on the boat with the last words, “The horror! The horror!” Kurtz ultimately was changed by the jungle.

What happens in Heart of Darkness?

Heart of Darkness centers around Marlow, an introspective sailor, and his journey up the Congo River to meet Kurtz, reputed to be an idealistic man of great abilities. As he travels to Africa and then up the Congo, Marlow encounters widespread inefficiency and brutality in the Company’s stations.

Why do the cannibals not eat Marlow?

They work on the boat with Marlow as the boat moves towards the inner station. The cannibals exemplify the power of restraint. Marlow wonders why these men do not eat him, because they have not eaten anything but rotting hippo meat in months.

Is Kurtz a tragic hero?

Kurtz as Tragic Hero In Conrad’s novel “Heart of Darkness” (1902), also Kurtz is regarded as tragic hero; he belongs on high status and has his flaws, which include greediness, vehemence and insatiable ambition “hubris”.

Why does Marlow try to capture Kurtz alone?

Marlow tries to capture Kurtz alone because there is a relationship between them that Marlow does not want to betray. The Russian tells Marlow that Kurtz ordered the attack on the steamship in order to fake his death. The Russian trusts Marlow because he has aligned himself with Kurtz, just like him.

What does Marlow think of Kurtz?

Marlow respects Kurtz and his decisions, and also Kurtz respects Marlow, but they weren’t friends, they just had no other. In the end of the story, when Marlow meets Kurtz’s wife, he has realized that Kurtz was a sort of universal genius, because he had read Kurtz texts and was really fascinated.

How does the Russian feel about Kurtz?

He is naïve and innocent and believes Kurtz is a great man beyond any conventional morality. He even nursed Kurtz back to health on a number of occasions though Kurtz once threatened to shoot him. Of all the white men in the Congo, only the Russian refrains from trying to assert control over the jungle.