Contrast Kurtz' black mistress with his intended. What is the function of each?
The main difference between Kurtz' mistress and his intended are obviously where they come from. One is a native in the heart of the Congo and is part of a group described as "savages" while his intended is from Europe. However, it is not these obvious and explicit differences that are as important as the symbolic differences. From the start of the book there is discrimination towards women and Marlow even goes far as to say, "It's queer to how out of touch with the truth women are. They live in a world of their own..." He also states something along the lines of how the European people believe imperialism to be some wondrous campaign, but really do not know what happens deep in the Congo. Kurtz' intended symbolizes both those ideas and I would even go as far to say she represents the European perspective of imperialism.
However kurtz' African mistress differs in that she represents something completely different. She symbolizes the alluring darkness of the jungle where there is truth, and also where Kurtz was lured in. Unlike the other women, the mistress is far from being "out of touch with the truth". In fact, it said toward in the novel how "she got in one day and kicked up a row... She talked like a fury to Kurtz for an hour". So basically each woman represents the ideas and values from where they are from.
It is interesting how you have worded and evaluated the mistress and intended. By reading your post, it would seem that the symbolism does a reversal of “Plato’s Allegory of the Cave.” Usually we hear and think that the darkness is ignorance and that the light is where true knowledge comes from. In Heart of Darkness, as you so excellently put it, it seems that the flow chart of knowledge is reversed. The Intended is in her own “cave” while the mistress and the dark jungle provide the truth and real light in the story. I never would have noticed this if I had not read this post.
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