Question: Who is the principal character—Marlow or Kurtz—in Conrad's Heart of Darkness? Explain your view.
Or, In what sense is Mr. Kurtz regarded as the central figure in the novel Heart of Darkness?
Ans. Mr. Kurtz is one of the two principal characters in Heart of Darkness, the other being Marlow, the narrator of the story. The portrayal of Kurtz is one of Conrad’s greatest achievements in characterization, yet he remains an enigma—an elusive figure whom we cannot fully comprehend.
When Marlow arrives at the Company’s Station, the Chief Accountant tells him about Mr. Kurtz, whom he will encounter at the Inner Station. The Accountant describes Kurtz as a “remarkable man” and a first-class agent of the company. Kurtz is capable of collecting as much ivory for export as all the other agents of the company combined. The Accountant even presumes that Kurtz might one day rise to a very high position.
The Manager of the Company’s Station tells Marlow that Kurtz is an exceptional man whose presence at the Inner Station is indispensable. Unfortunately, Kurtz falls ill, which shocks Marlow because he had hoped to discuss some important matters with him. Subsequently, Marlow collects further information about Kurtz from the Brick-maker, the Russian, and the Manager at the Central Station.
At the Inner Station, Kurtz exercises full control over the natives. A time comes when he wishes to keep all the ivory for himself instead of allowing the company to claim it. Yet greed is only one aspect of his evil. In many respects, Kurtz becomes the embodiment of evil. He identifies completely with the native savages and, in effect, becomes one of them. He not only participates in their customs and activities but also presides over their midnight dances, which always end in “unspeakable rites.”
According to Marlow, Kurtz has become evil incarnate. Consequently, on his deathbed, he finds himself in a terrible moral state and utters the famous words: “The horror! The horror!” These words signify the depth of evil within Kurtz and express his horror at the consequences of his actions and the fate that may await him after death.
Kurtz represents the imperial exploitation of backward peoples by white invaders. He embodies avarice, lust for power, commercial greed, and the hypocrisy of the whites, who claim to civilize the natives but are unwilling to improve their conditions.
To conclude, the main interest of the novel lies in Marlow’s encounter with Kurtz, who is portrayed as both extremely evil and, in certain respects, admirable. Both Kurtz and Marlow are prominent figures and play significant roles in Heart of Darkness. Kurtz is vividly visualized through Marlow’s narration. Although we never see him in action, we witness him dying, and yet we understand his character fully.
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