Preview

Kurtz's Intended Symbolism

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
416 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Kurtz's Intended Symbolism
Darkness is also the inability to see the “dark” reality and failure in an individual. Marlow is telling Intended the false last words of Kurtz. He lies to Kurtz’s Intended by telling her that his last words were not “The horror!” but rather crying her name. Marlo has seen some of the worst horrors of the Congo and does not want to carry the darkness of the real world into Kurtz’s Intended’s idealistic world where she is completely clueless about Kurtz’s true nature. Kurtz’s Intended further supports the symbolism of women as symbols of society’s blindness to its own hollowness. Marlow realizes that he can’t bring himself to make Kurtz’s Intended see the “dark” reality.

3) It was like a weary pilgrimage amongst hints for nightmares. Part
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Symbolism In The Cat's Cradle By Kurt Vonnegut
    • 894 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Symbolism In The Cat's Cradle By Kurt Vonnegut

    A symbol is something that represents something else. In Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle, a reoccurring symbol is – unbelievably - the cat’s cradle, which is represented in three different ways. There’s the “literal cat’s cradle, which is where this symbol comes from, and there’s an image of the cradle. But the most interesting way the cat’s cradle is represented is when it’s used as a metaphor in different situations. The cats’ cradle is used as a symbol to signify the difference between the world as it seems, to the world as it really is.…

    • 894 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    POISONWOOD BIBLE & HEART OF DARKNESS ANALYSIS PAPER
    • 2281 Words
    • 10 Pages

    POISONWOOD BIBLE & HEART OF DARKNESS ANALYSIS PAPER

    The climactic rise and fall of Kurtz and Nathan Price typifies the destructive, insidious force of society’s truth upon the human soul. Signs of Kurtz’ troubled state litter Marlow’s initial days at the Central Station. While admiring an agent’s artifact collection, Marlow stumbles upon a small sketch “representing a woman, draped and blind-folded, carrying a lighted torch” (Conrad 122). Kurtz’ revelatory painting of the “sinister” looking woman engulfed in darkness clearly reflects his struggle with forging ahead on the continuum of truth (Conrad 122). Unfortunately, the constant praise of his peers, who regarded Kurtz as a “remarkable person” (Conrad 115), “exceptional man,” (Conrad 119), “a prodigy” (Conrad 122), coupled with the unbounded freedom of the Congo, creates a severe superiority complex within him, grinding his continuum to a halt. Once on his knees, the European imperialist mentality effectively crushes Kurtz’ inner principles: “it had taken him, loved him, embraced him, got into his veins, consumed his flesh, and sealed his soul to its own” (Conrad 147). In Poisonwood Bible, Nathan Price also falls…

    • 2281 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Symbolism In Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five
    • 1530 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Symbolism In Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five

    Slaughterhouse Five tells the story of Billy Pilgrim who has become “unstuck in time.” Young Billy is born and raised in Ilium, New York, he is "tall and weak, and shaped like a bottle of Coca-Cola," and studying to be an optometrist. He is drafted into the U.S. military and despite his scrawny, weak build, he is sent to Europe to fight. While fighting in Germany, Billy is all of a sudden sent to 1968, where the plane he was on has crashed into the mountains of Vermont. He becomes aware that we possesses the ability to travel uncontrollably through time, as he skips around all different events in his lifetime, from being a prisoner of war in Dresden during World War II, to being abducted by Tralfamadorians, an alien race on the planet Tralfamadore…

    • 1530 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Heart Of Darkness Kurtz Character Analysis Essay
    • 375 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Heart Of Darkness Kurtz Character Analysis Essay

    Even though Marlow’s unrealistic depiction of Kurtz has been shattered by Kurtz’s cruelty, he believes that Kurtz achieved a “moral victory” in the battle with death. In a contest “without clamour, without glory, without the great desire, without the great fear of desire,” Kurtz achieved what Marlow fears he may not be able to do: “He had something to say. He said it.” In his final moments, Kurtz realized the cruelty of his own actions and, in this realization, weakly speaks the words “The horror!” When Marlow came within “ a hair’s breath” of death, he faced the humiliation that he might have nothing to say; therefore, Kurtz’s final “pronouncement” is of so much value to Marlow that it keeps him “loyal to Kurtz to the last.” Marlow believes that life is a riddle which baffles all men and that death is an adversary that every men must wrestle with. Conrad’s use of metaphor to depict Kurtz’s final struggle with life highlights the importance of Kurtz’s “moral victory” to Marlow. The notion of defeat or victory in the “unexciting contest” of life emphasizes that Marlow admires the strength Kurtz shows in his final…

    • 375 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Symbolism In Catcher In The Rye
    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Symbolism In Catcher In The Rye

    Themes in stories can be developed through many different means. It can be openly stated or just simply implied. Throughout history symbolism has been used to develop stories. Even in the bible there are multiple symbols that can be found. J.D. Salinger uses symbols to help readers understand the overall message and theme of his book The Catcher in the Rye. From Holden’s red hunting hat to Allie’s baseball mitt, symbols are constantly being thrown into the story. One other symbol that I think is highly significant is the ducks in Central Park.…

    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Catcher In The Rye Symbolism Analysis
    • 312 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Catcher In The Rye Symbolism Analysis

    In Jd Salinger’s award winning novel, Catcher In The Rye, Had many symbols that give this book its meaning. I’m going to tell you many symbols, and each and everyone one of them means something to the book greatly. One symbol that was shown was when he was at the museum of natural history. This symbol is childhood. Holden has a hard time with change, especially with young kids growing up. He wants them never to grow. The reason this is a symbol is, at the museum nothing changes. The displays are still the same and so are the people in them. The only thing different is himself. Holden has a hard time growing up and facing the real adult world so the museum comforts him. I think that Holden wants to take all the young children in the glass…

    • 312 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Morality In Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness
    • 765 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Morality In Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness

    However, the evil of some people might not be evident until drawn out from societal values and motives. The darkness of men consumes their mind and is able to control them in inexplainable ways. Marlow draws that Europe’s presence in Africa spread new evils that spread throughout the natives, through Kurtz, and through himself. Darkness is everywhere and can be present in many different ways. Kurtz struggled with the desire for greed and power, which led him to his own fall. Marlow discovered his own corruption and moral depravity, but was able to control it. Although darkness is universal among men, its temptations can still be…

    • 765 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Role Of Imperialism In Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness
    • 994 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Role Of Imperialism In Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness

    Darkness, in Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, functions as a dynamic extension of Marlow’s altering values. Prevailing at its attempts in conveying the various phases of Marlow’s changing mindset, darkness provides a breeding ground for contention—mainly, the questioning of its inherent meaning as the plot and text unfold to form a myriad of clashing ideologies. Despite what many consider to represent solely the depths of human indecency, darkness pushes the bounds of that conclusion and takes on the many forms of greed, despondency, primitivism, and eternal damnation as Marlow’s feelings begin to conflict with standard European ideology. Marlow, perhaps the most complex character, finds himself in the middle of this debate with the eventual…

    • 994 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Symbolism In Catcher In The Rye
    • 499 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Symbolism In Catcher In The Rye

    Throughout the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger a symbol that my group chose that we believe represents Holden is the ducks at Central park south. Holden repeatedly asks people where the ducks go because he likes the ducks staying where they are. Holden worries about the ducks at Central park south “But I didn’t see any ducks around . . . but I didn’t see a single duck. I thought maybe if they were any around, they might be asleep or something near the grass and all. That’s how I nearly fell in. but I couldn’t find any” (Salinger 154). Holden then asks the taxi cab driver who he doesn’t know where the ducks go. “You know those ducks in the lagoon right near Central park south? That little lake? By any chance, do you happen to know where they go, the ducks, when it gets all frozen over? Do you know by any chance?”(Salinger 90). “I was wondering if it would be frozen over when I got home, and if it was, where did the ducks go. I was wondering where the ducks went when the lagoon got all icy and…

    • 499 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Symbolism In Catcher In The Rye
    • 512 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Symbolism In Catcher In The Rye

    In the novel “The Catcher in the Rye”, by J.D. Salinger, the main character, Holden Caulfield, tries to preserve children’s innocence, one of the main themes of the book. There are many symbols in the book that show us his dream and desire of becoming “the catcher”: the title of the book, the mummies in the Natural Museum and the phrase “fuck you” on the wall. In this essay, I will develop these symbols more deeply and detailed.…

    • 512 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Symbolism in Catcher in the Rye
    • 626 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Symbolism in Catcher in the Rye

    In the book The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield seems like a teenager who is always critical, lonely and depressed. He seems to not understand that getting older is a part of life. The author of The Catcher in the Rye, J.D Salinger, uses a lot of symbolism to express this. A symbol is a word or object that stands for another word or object. The person writing will either make it clear to you or they might make you think. Salinger uses symbols such as the poem "Comin' Thro the Rye", the graffiti on the school walls, and taking a ride on the carousel.…

    • 626 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Heart Of Darkness Rhetorical Analysis
    • 1082 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Heart Of Darkness Rhetorical Analysis

    At the time, Freud and Nietzsche were both looking at the human condition and the inner psyche, and this novel seems to be a continuation of those ideas as Marlow delves into his inner consciousness in search of truth. The symbol of Marlow as a Buddha at the beginning conveys the idea that he is contemplative and soul-searching. Furthermore the progression of his character into a dream-like world throughout the novel perpetrates this idea of Marlow coming face to face with the human condition. For example, as Marlow nears Kurtz’s station fog comes down giving everything an “eerie, dream-like appearance.” This is further demonstrated in the idea that Marlow is entering a nightmare with “tumultuous and mournful shrieking” with the rest of the world “swept off without leaving a whisper or a shadow behind.” The creation of this dream-like setting by Conrad creates the idea that Marlow is travelling through his consciousness, as if this is his own nightmare. Marlow is searching for a distinct truth of the human condition and this is symbolised by Kurtz. Kurtz, a European renaissance man of culture and nobility who came to this dark place comes to embody mankind itself. His fall from refinement to savagery highlights this fall to the true human condition where repressed desires and lusts are set loose. He dances with the savages and plants heads on poles for no other reason than that he desires to and appears to have “kicked himself loose from the world”. Though Marlow glimpses this truth of the human psyche he, as Kelly Jacobs says, “stares over the edge but does not fall as Kurtz does.” That said, Marlow does not find the truth he is searching for and in the end his journey into the psyche is inconclusive. When he meets Kurtz’s intended he lies to her about Kurtz’s final moral judgement, “the horror” highlighting the fact that the truth may be…

    • 1082 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Thesis on Feminist Approach to Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
    • 342 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Thesis on Feminist Approach to Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

    In Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, we are introduced to how the more powerful masculine world manipulates the female by asserting authority in every aspect of life. The patriarchal voice, constructing two extremes which are masculine and feminine, presents women as the irrational side of human nature. Logocentrism including ‘‘death-dealing oppositions’’ colludes with Phallocentrism and gives the ultimate power to the male perspective as if it is objective. Kurtz's intended’s attempt to learn his last words to ‘’live with'’ suggests that women are trapped in eye-blinding male dominant ideology and unconsciously become spokespersons of it. In the text, women contribute to the system with their silences, which instantly reminds of the absence of women in Western literature both literally and metaphorically as commented by Luce Irigaray. Women are defined through their relationships to males; they are there as long as the male is there. Kurtz's intended's mourning after his death is a mourning not only for the loss of Kurtz but also for the loss of her own identity. My paper will include how patriarchal manipulation goes on different levels; despite the socio-cultural differences between the intended and the mistress. I will also focus on the explicit solidarity among men in the text. I will analyze that patriarchy has created ''feminine'' out of femaleness which is actually matter of biology. Marlow's discourse is the product this ideology; after all, the male-centred narration is itself another manipulation of reality by patriarchy. Looking at the whole text on a larger scale, Africa turns out to be the female while Britain is the male in terms of asserting power over Africa, exploiting the area in her own interests. All the negative qualities pre-defined for the female are reflected upon Africa by Britain. Britian's colonial discourse with its…

    • 342 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Women in Heart of Darkness
    • 2004 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Women in Heart of Darkness

    In Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, the portrayal of women takes a backwards step and is reverted back to the primitive, more demeaning viewpoint. Conrad employs characters that reflect the archaic perspectives concerning women. The main character, Marlow, generalizes all women and depicts every woman as living in a dream-like state merely “going through the motions” of life.…

    • 2004 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness
    • 726 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness

    She has waited at least two years for her lover to return from Africa, and now he is dead. During this time she has built his image up in her mind. To her, Kurtz is a man to be admired. She feels it would be "impossible not to love him." She was proud to have been engaged to Kurtz, and would be shocked to learn of the bad things he had done in the jungle. Marlow had to decide if he should tell her the truth about Kurtz and cause her even greater sadness, or let her go on believing that he was indeed a good man. This is an extraordinary circumstance, and so one in which Marlow could tell a lie. The significance of this lie is that it would serve no purpose to tell the truth, so Marlow does not. The truth wouldn’t matter because Kurtz is dead and to tell the truth would only hurt an innocent woman who had no idea that her fiancé had an evil heart. She thought that he was loved and admired by everyone who knew him, so if she would have learned of the bad things he had done, it would eternally destroy…

    • 726 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics