What is the significance of Kurtz' soul going mad? What caused his insanity?
The significance of Kurtz' soul going mad can be explained in his last words "The horror! The horror!" Him saying that impactful phrase suggests he recognizes the atrocities and savagery that both the company and himself have projected onto the natives. It is also interesting how Kurtz recognizes the "horror" with what he has done; for example, placing heads on spikes around his camp and raiding village after village forcibly taking ivory.
As for what caused Kurtz to go mad, it probably includes several factors, the first being ivory. Ivory is what propels the book forward and it also what prompts Kurtz to stay in the Congo and continuously span the interior for ivory. He is absolutely thirsty for it and the longer he stays, the greater fixation he has on getting more. One could say the greed and want for ivory is what prompted him to go mad. However, his insanity was also caused by the jungle itself. The longer he stayed in the jungle, the more his heart got filled with darkness and he ultimately went crazy because of it. He was becoming a totally different man and had no restraint whatsoever. The cannibals showed more composure than him. It is also somewhat ironic how Kurtz entered the jungle intending to change the people, or savages, living there when he was the one who ultimately changed.
I really enjoy what you say about Kurtz last words, "The horror! The horror!". That phrase always confused me but it's nice to see your insight on the reason he says it, simply because he has gone mad and finally realizes what kind of impact he and his men had on the natives, and how that affected him.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with your thoughts on the jungle being a factor that makes him go mad. Not being in society and having constraints can cause man to go crazy by having the freedom to do what he pleases and push the limits.
The last minutes of human life seem to be filled "horror". Not just because the individual is dying, but because in these last breaths, dying men seem to evaluate their lives. They see the error in their ways and as we all know, mankind is prone to flaws. This reoccurring literary idea is present in Heart of Darkness and I think it speaks to redemption. Maybe, even if just slightly, Kurtz is redeemed as he finally realizes how terrible he has been. He realizes that the cannibals and savages are nothing compared to the monster he has become. He must also have wondered how he digressed so far.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you mentioned greed. Greed is really what drew him to the Congo, and what caused him to say. But even better, you said that the greed caused him to go mad. Can greedy people ever be satisfied? The obsession with ivory and valuables may have been what prompted him to go mad. Your last line is brilliant. Instead of Kurtz changing the jungle, the jungle changed him. Africa is somewhat of a pilgrim hub, even today. People feel the desire to "save Africa". While I believe that intentions are typically in the right place,.it seems that throughout history, people with power seem to think they know what is best for everybody, but that kind of thinking has certainly caused issues.
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