Explanation: “My Intended, my ivory, my station, my river, my—everything belonged to him.”
Or,
“The thing was to know what he belonged to, how many powers of darkness claimed him for their own.”
Exp. This extract has been taken from Joseph Conrad’s short but famous novel Heart of Darkness. Here, Marlow, in the course of his narration, quotes Kurtz’s own words to highlight his egotism and possessiveness.
Marlow refers to a girl whom Mr. Kurtz wished to marry. This girl could be described as Mr. Kurtz’s “Intended.” However, ivory was Kurtz’s chief interest in life and his favourite possession. Later, when Marlow met Mr. Kurtz, he recalled the words Kurtz repeatedly spoke: “My Intended, my ivory, my station, my river, my—.” Kurtz spoke as if everything around him belonged to him.
At the same time, Marlow wondered what Kurtz himself belonged to. In his view, Kurtz belonged to the powers of darkness, and ultimately, many forces of evil would claim him as their own. This reflection on Kurtz’s egotism and possessiveness was a horrifying experience for Marlow.
Marlow now realizes that Kurtz’s astonishing egotism was the cause of his downfall—the dark streak that led to his moral degradation. Conrad, through Marlow, hints at the evil desires that drove Kurtz to form kinship with the natives and commit devilish and cruel acts of destruction. Understanding this dark obsession is more important than knowing what physically belonged to Kurtz.
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