Discussion of the seeming contridiction of Marlow in the novel "Heart Of Darkness" insisting that Kurtz is a "remarkable man" enen though superficially Kurtz seems to be a "bad" character .
In the novel "Heart Of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad, a sailor named Marlow is fascinated, and entranced by a snaking river on a map of Africa. He becomes so constrained to travel up the river, that he fells he needs to get there by any means necessary. Through his Aunt's connections and help, he becomes captain of a steam ship used by imperialists colonising Africa, that travels up and down the Congo River. He is appointed a duty of finding Kurtz, who is ill, and bringing him back to the central station to be treated. Marlow has various conversations at stations along the way, and learns Kurtz is an "amazing" man bringing an excetionally large amount of ivory to the company. Marlow also recieves information that Kurtz's methods for civilising the natives and collecting ivory are horrendous. Marlow becomes fascinated with Kurtz to the point where his thoughts constinently revolve around meeting Kurt's and what he is like. Along the way up the river, the structure of European civilisation is slowly dissolved as Marlow penetrates deeper towards his destination. When Marlow and company reach the inner most station, he finds that kurtz has gone mad. Kurtz is worshipped as a god by the surrounding natives, and takes advantage of this, by killing and stealing ivory from them and planting there heads on polls. It becomes apparent to Marlow that kurtz, because of being so far from civilisation for so long and being stripped of European restraints and morals, looked into his unsheathed heart, and was overcame with evil. Kurtz is taken aboard the steamer where he develops a connection with Marlow. Kurtz eventually dies on the steamer with his last words being, "The horror The horror (Conrad, 73)". Marlow on the journey back down the river, becomes ill himself and nearly dies.
