The Changing Personality of Kurtz in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness

Heart of Darkness   - The Changing   Personality of Kurtz      Ã‚   Kurtz's character is fully facet (in Conrad's Heart of Darkness), not because of his conventional roll of antagonist, but for his roll in a historical fiction as a character with important roll in society, influenced by those close to him. Kurtz makes some key developments in the way he interacts with others, in large part due to the words and actions of society and Kurtz's acquaintances.    Heart of Darkness is a novel based on European imperialism in the late nineteenth-early twentieth century. During the turn of the century in 1900, the more significant countries in Europe (i.e. England, France, Germany, et al.) had gotten to a point where expansion within Europe was no longer foreseeable, so for financial, political, and egotistical reasons, these countries looked south to their neighbor Africa, the "black continent." "God-forsaken wilderness." Marlow says of Africa. (Page 73) Trade routes were established and the home countries found reliable executive willing to travel and develop relations in the country. In Conrad's novel, Kurtz was this man. He started out with a noble goal, i.e. to modernize Africa, but suffered the effects of a deadly disease, greed. "It was reckless without hardihood, greedy without audacity, and cruel without courage." Said Marlow (of what Kurtz and the ivory company had done to Africa.) (Page 102.)    Kurtz's characteristics are best seen through his work as an Ivory trader in the territory known as Congo. He got this position after being dubbed as a genius, partly because he worked as an orator, poet, writer, musician, politician, and artist in addition to the ivory business. Many would take this ... ...ributed to Kurtz loosing track of his life emotionally, and later physically. Kurtz loved her, and his heart went cold as she was separated from his life. This can be seen in the story at the conclusion in a dialogue between the intended and Marlow, where she asks Marlow what Kurtz's final words were. Marlow lies, not because of his friendship with Kurtz, but because he recognizes the importance of him to her (and visa versa.)    The change of Kurtz's personality is not solely because he is the antagonist, but because he is so self-conscious of his appearance that he allows society to overwhelm his character.    Work Cited Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. Ed. Robert Kimbrough. 17th ed. New York: Norton, 1988.    Notes 1. Conrad, Joseph. Heart of darkness. Page 73 2. Ibid. Page 102 3. Ibid. 107 4. Ibid.138    The Changing Personality of Kurtz in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness Heart of Darkness   - The Changing   Personality of Kurtz      Ã‚   Kurtz's character is fully facet (in Conrad's Heart of Darkness), not because of his conventional roll of antagonist, but for his roll in a historical fiction as a character with important roll in society, influenced by those close to him. Kurtz makes some key developments in the way he interacts with others, in large part due to the words and actions of society and Kurtz's acquaintances.    Heart of Darkness is a novel based on European imperialism in the late nineteenth-early twentieth century. During the turn of the century in 1900, the more significant countries in Europe (i.e. England, France, Germany, et al.) had gotten to a point where expansion within Europe was no longer foreseeable, so for financial, political, and egotistical reasons, these countries looked south to their neighbor Africa, the "black continent." "God-forsaken wilderness." Marlow says of Africa. (Page 73) Trade routes were established and the home countries found reliable executive willing to travel and develop relations in the country. In Conrad's novel, Kurtz was this man. He started out with a noble goal, i.e. to modernize Africa, but suffered the effects of a deadly disease, greed. "It was reckless without hardihood, greedy without audacity, and cruel without courage." Said Marlow (of what Kurtz and the ivory company had done to Africa.) (Page 102.)    Kurtz's characteristics are best seen through his work as an Ivory trader in the territory known as Congo. He got this position after being dubbed as a genius, partly because he worked as an orator, poet, writer, musician, politician, and artist in addition to the ivory business. Many would take this ... ...ributed to Kurtz loosing track of his life emotionally, and later physically. Kurtz loved her, and his heart went cold as she was separated from his life. This can be seen in the story at the conclusion in a dialogue between the intended and Marlow, where she asks Marlow what Kurtz's final words were. Marlow lies, not because of his friendship with Kurtz, but because he recognizes the importance of him to her (and visa versa.)    The change of Kurtz's personality is not solely because he is the antagonist, but because he is so self-conscious of his appearance that he allows society to overwhelm his character.    Work Cited Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. Ed. Robert Kimbrough. 17th ed. New York: Norton, 1988.    Notes 1. Conrad, Joseph. Heart of darkness. Page 73 2. Ibid. Page 102 3. Ibid. 107 4. Ibid.138