These last words of Mr. Kurtz leave the reader with an ending that is very open to interpretation. All of the references to light and darkness throughout the story could be interpreted as a metaphor for the struggle of light and darkness (Apollo and Dionysus) within each and every one of us. The horrors of colonization, the brutal, ruthless exploitation of indigenous peoples is what had driven Kurtz's character to madness. His mental breakdown causes him to confront his own inner demons, and he decides it is easier to succumb to his wild, Dionysian, and in many ways barbaric side, than to have to face the horror of evaluating the situation as a civilized, moral being. "The horror, the horror" is what Kurtz faces in the very last moments of his life, as he remembers for the last time all the violence he has witnessed, and all the violence that he has committed. In a way, Conrad is making the point that there is no clear distinction between light and darkness, that they are at constant struggle to win over our souls, and there is no way to completely devote yourself to one and ignore the other. The spread of civilization is a very good idea on paper, but the horrors and the brutality through which it was done were in no way Apollonian, which leads is to the conclusion that there is no way to "spread the light" without plunging into the darkness of a man's heart, a darkness from which one might never find the strength to return from.
How is Marlowe's role in Heart of Darkness "Apollonian?"
Marlow is a philosophical and indepentant- minded man, but he is also a master story teller. This aspect gives him the Apollonianness because he is imaginative and creative and not always structured and orderly
How is Marlowe's role in Heart of Darkness "Apollonian?"
Marlowe's role in heart of darkness is apollonian beacuse He is a man who loves exploring other areas but he is transformed by his experience in the Congo. He is very creative and also a very clever person which makes him apollonian during the heart of darkness.
The "horror" that Kurtz is referring to is the dark-side of man. Man has good and bad within him. Society's job is to suppress the bad with its laws and standards. In Kurtz's case, society over-looked his evilness because he was getting the ivory for them. His horror is the evil that man can resort to when society doesn't hold him back.
Kurtz's last words were about the horror. I believe that the horror is the fact that power corrupts people. He started out as a good man and as he gained more power he became evil and there was nobody there to hold him back. Society ignored his wrong doings because he was giving them something that they wanted and was precious to them, ivory.
--- How is Marlowe's role in Heart of Darkness "Apollonian?"
Well, first off, I think Marlowe could be assumed to be Apollonian if only for the fact that Kurtz is very much Dionysian. Kurtz is known to be a little mad and it becomes obvious when Marlowe finally comes to see him. Marlowe, in his own right, is Apollonian due to his being civilized and trying to maintain order.
Also, I think that the horror refers to the evil and/or Dionysian side that exists everywhere and in everyone. Kurtz was unable to escape it (obviously) and it overcame him.
Marlow appears apollonian in contrast to Kurtz and the jungle, "the heart of darkness". In many novels, poems, and other works of literature, the jungle/woods have consistently been locations of evils,outcasts,sexual encounters, and other cases of mischevious behavior(Dionysian). For example, the woods in "The Scarlet Letter" is a location of a sexual encounter, and in "The Crucible" witchcraft takes place in the dark woods. Even the book "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair, is titled so because of the chaos (Dionysian)found in the unsanitary factory and immigrant inner city society. The jungle in "The Heart of Darkness" contains the "savages", people that considered to act uncivilized, much like the dionysian followers in the "Bacchae", that engage in promiscuous, violent, or excessive activities. Marlow comes from a civilized society and is used to rules and regulations, unlike the jungle. Marlow sets a goal to retrieve Kurtz, and he does not stray away from the plan, even when there are obstacles (very apollonian).
When reading this book, I couldn't help but think of similar themes that are in Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. This book confronts the idea of "original sin". Kurtz realizes that there is an inherent evil in all of us. In Heart of Darkness, the evil is revealed through greed, exploitation, and colonization. In this book, the reader witnesses Kurtz' unraveling of his own identity and the universal heart of mankind.
"The horror" is the dark-side of man. He has good and bad within him. Kurtz has a bit of Dionysian in him and he felt it overcoming him and was unable to fight it. Also, society's role in reference to power and corruption.
The last words of Kurtz are "the horror" which refer to the horror of mankind which Kurtz has witnessed over his life. In this sense Kurtz and the horror show many Dionysian aspects while Marlow shows many Apollonian.
11 comments:
What is "the horror"?
These last words of Mr. Kurtz leave the reader with an ending that is very open to interpretation. All of the references to light and darkness throughout the story could be interpreted as a metaphor for the struggle of light and darkness (Apollo and Dionysus) within each and every one of us. The horrors of colonization, the brutal, ruthless exploitation of indigenous peoples is what had driven Kurtz's character to madness. His mental breakdown causes him to confront his own inner demons, and he decides it is easier to succumb to his wild, Dionysian, and in many ways barbaric side, than to have to face the horror of evaluating the situation as a civilized, moral being. "The horror, the horror" is what Kurtz faces in the very last moments of his life, as he remembers for the last time all the violence he has witnessed, and all the violence that he has committed. In a way, Conrad is making the point that there is no clear distinction between light and darkness, that they are at constant struggle to win over our souls, and there is no way to completely devote yourself to one and ignore the other. The spread of civilization is a very good idea on paper, but the horrors and the brutality through which it was done were in no way Apollonian, which leads is to the conclusion that there is no way to "spread the light" without plunging into the darkness of a man's heart, a darkness from which one might never find the strength to return from.
How is Marlowe's role in Heart of Darkness "Apollonian?"
Marlow is a philosophical and indepentant- minded man, but he is also a master story teller. This aspect gives him the Apollonianness because he is imaginative and creative and not always structured and orderly
How is Marlowe's role in Heart of Darkness "Apollonian?"
Marlowe's role in heart of darkness is apollonian beacuse
He is a man who loves exploring other areas but he is transformed by his experience in the Congo. He is very creative and also a very clever person which makes him apollonian during the heart of darkness.
What is "the horror"?
The "horror" that Kurtz is referring to is the dark-side of man. Man has good and bad within him. Society's job is to suppress the bad with its laws and standards. In Kurtz's case, society over-looked his evilness because he was getting the ivory for them. His horror is the evil that man can resort to when society doesn't hold him back.
What is "the horror"?
Kurtz's last words were about the horror. I believe that the horror is the fact that power corrupts people. He started out as a good man and as he gained more power he became evil and there was nobody there to hold him back. Society ignored his wrong doings because he was giving them something that they wanted and was precious to them, ivory.
--- How is Marlowe's role in Heart of Darkness "Apollonian?"
Well, first off, I think Marlowe could be assumed to be Apollonian if only for the fact that Kurtz is very much Dionysian. Kurtz is known to be a little mad and it becomes obvious when Marlowe finally comes to see him. Marlowe, in his own right, is Apollonian due to his being civilized and trying to maintain order.
--- What is "the horror?"
Also, I think that the horror refers to the evil and/or Dionysian side that exists everywhere and in everyone. Kurtz was unable to escape it (obviously) and it overcame him.
Marlow appears apollonian in contrast to Kurtz and the jungle, "the heart of darkness". In many novels, poems, and other works of literature, the jungle/woods have consistently been locations of evils,outcasts,sexual encounters, and other cases of mischevious behavior(Dionysian). For example, the woods in "The Scarlet Letter" is a location of a sexual encounter, and in "The Crucible" witchcraft takes place in the dark woods. Even the book "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair, is titled so because of the chaos (Dionysian)found in the unsanitary factory and immigrant inner city society. The jungle in "The Heart of Darkness" contains the "savages", people that considered to act uncivilized, much like the dionysian followers in the "Bacchae", that engage in promiscuous, violent, or excessive activities. Marlow comes from a civilized society and is used to rules and regulations, unlike the jungle. Marlow sets a goal to retrieve Kurtz, and he does not stray away from the plan, even when there are obstacles (very apollonian).
What is "the horror"?
When reading this book, I couldn't help but think of similar themes that are in Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. This book confronts the idea of "original sin". Kurtz realizes that there is an inherent evil in all of us. In Heart of Darkness, the evil is revealed through greed, exploitation, and colonization. In this book, the reader witnesses Kurtz' unraveling of his own identity and the universal heart of mankind.
"The horror" is the dark-side of man. He has good and bad within him. Kurtz has a bit of Dionysian in him and he felt it overcoming him and was unable to fight it. Also, society's role in reference to power and corruption.
What is "the horror"?
The last words of Kurtz are "the horror" which refer to the horror of mankind which Kurtz has witnessed over his life. In this sense Kurtz and the horror show many Dionysian aspects while Marlow shows many Apollonian.
Post a Comment