Power is something anyone would want, and something anyone could easily misuse.
ultimate power is achieved by someone, they often reach their weakest peak. History has proved this to be .
true. Hitler and Tito were two major power sources who "fell to the ground" by misusing their power.
In Heart of Darkness, by Henry Conrad, we see Kurtz become a brutal man by misusing and .
abusing his power. While journeying up the Congo to find mad Kurtz, who according to Elaine .
Showalter, in The Double Worlds of Men and Women, "abandoned his idealistic .
vision of suppressing savage customs and instead has set himself up as a savage god," a picture of .
Kurtz's darkness is painted in full detail. The monster Kurtz becomes is not symbolic of Black Africa .
necessarily, but symbolic of all human beings when given ultimate power.
As power is slowly being gained, people are never satisfied with what they have and always want .
to go to the next level. Kurtz was never satisfied, he always wanted more. "The appetite for more ivory .
had got the better of what shall I say? less material aspirations" (1656). Kurtz was a first-class white .
agent. He was in charge of a very important trading post. His trading post actually "sends in as much .
ivory as all the others put together." "Kurtz was the best agent , an exceptional man, of the greatest .
importance to the Company" (1629). He was admired by many people as a remarkable man.
In order to gain power, you must rise above others. To do this many people cheat and manipulate .
others. Kurtz actually raided his own country with his tribe that adored him. Kurtz followed the same .
path as other leaders to rise to the top. He was a liar who continued living in the darkness so he could .
attain the power admired by others. When powerful people start to misuse their power, they take .
advantage of any situations they can get their hands on. Kurtz was no exception. "I heard the name of .
Kurtz pronounced then the words, 'take advantage of this unfortunate accident' (1630).
