Heart of Darkness - Book Report/Review Example

"Soul! If anybody has ever struggled with a soul, I am the man. And I wasn't arguing with a lunatic either. Believe me or not, his intelligence was perfectly clear-concentrated, it is true, upon himself with horrible intensity, yet clear; and therein was my only chance-barring of course, the killing him there and then, which wasn't so good, on account of the unavoidable noise. But his soul was mad. Being alone in the wilderness, it had looked within itself, and, by heavens! I tell you, it had gone mad.

He struggled with himself, too. I saw it,-I heard it. I saw the inconceivable mystery of a soul that knew no restraint, no faith, and no fear, yet struggling blindly with itself." (144-145)This passage makes one thing clear. Kurtz was not a lunatic. His soul was the center of his corruption and his senseless antics. The man had lost faith, fear, and anything else that could keep a watchful eye on his soul. Marlow testifies in favor of Kurtz's clear thinking. He knows that Kurtz is not facing any real medical problems.

His corruption is grounded in unbridled power combined with intelligence that had turned him into a demi-god. He saw himself as better than and above the rest. Apart from the power that can always corrupt people, it is the intellect that is also a known source of corruption that leads to massive rotting of the soul. These moral failings and weakness of character are found in Kurtz which ultimately make him so corrupt that his soul is warped and he loses his human attributes. Marlow is not the only one seriously intrigued by the personality of Kurtz.

Most others on the island cannot seem to unravel the mystery surrounding him. To the Russian trader, for example, Kurtz is at once the most powerful man he has ever seen and the mad man who needs to get away from the island of corruption. He is consumed with the thoughts of Kurtz as Marlow notices: "It was curious to see his mingled eagerness and reluctance to speak of Kurtz. The man filled his life, occupied his thoughts, swayed his emotions." (p. 128) The manager was probably the sanest one around.

He was not impressed with Kurtz. He may fear him but he knew very clearly that Kurtz was a bad influence on the Company and the island. He confides in Marlow, "'We have done all we could for him--haven't we But there is no disguising the fact, Mr. Kurtz has done more harm than good to the Company." (137). The manager understands that Kurtz is no longer the man he once used to be. He doesn't have a high opinion of Kurtz and frankly but seriously objects to Marlow's vague claim that: 'Nevertheless I think Mr.

Kurtz is a remarkable man,' I said with emphasis. He started, dropped on me a cold heavy glance, said very quietly, 'he was,' and turned his back on me." (p.138)Kurtz was a mystery to many because he refused to speak to everyone. But he was a corrupted soul and most people even though they were in awe of him admitted to the fact that Kurtz had made their lives miserable.