In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Marlow originally enters Africa due to his interest as a child. However, as he learns of Kurtz’s mission and high status, Marlow becomes entranced with the idea of the wealth and power Mr. Kurtz symbolizes. Once Marlow hears of Mr. Kurtz, he belittles everyone, except Kurtz, by referring to them solely by their job title rather than their name. By examining how Marlow treats the fireman and the uncle and nephew in contrast to how he thinks of Kurtz, the reader can discover Marlow’s true nature: power hungry.
Marlow enters Africa with intentions of exploring; however, he quickly shifts to obsessing over Kurtz’s power, which he sees attainable. In the beginning, Marlow attempts to place himself in a position similar to Kurtz. Marlow notes the uncle and nephew “were right under me” and emphasized how “[he] could have spat upon their hats”, belittling them and placing them below himself (Conrad 58). In addition to his physical position, Marlow mocks the manager, as his good health remains his only accomplishment to boast of. Similarly, Kurtz places himself above everyone and embarks on the return to his station “alone in a small dug-out with
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Throughout the entirety of the trip, Marlow admits his excitement “at the prospect of meeting Kurtz” (Conrad 59). In fact, for him, the heart of darkness did not accurately describe the boat’s destination: “it crawled towards Kurtz – exclusively” (Conrad 61). Marlow’s idolization of Kurtz remains so intense that Marlow believes he “would be desolate if anything should happen to Mr. Kurtz” (Conrad 72). This fascination with Kurtz stems from Marlow’s holy and praising image of Kurtz and his ability to relate to him due to their shared ethnocentric beliefs. The bond between the two remains unbreakable as Marlow searches for and refuses to abandon the quest to discover the secret to Kurtz’s