A wee selection from my Reader Response
The locals treat Kurtz as a source of wisdom, of genius and of knowledge in the Congo, a sort of beacon. I think this is particularly interesting as it really represents Marlow’s descent into the Congo and the madness that takes Europeans there. This helps to paint the Congo even further as an element of Change, as it deeply changes the Europeans who set foot there, of which Marlow and especially Kurtz are the typical examples of this. For me, this definitely is the key element to building the air of mystery of the Congo in Heart. The book is heavily themed on the fact that the Congo is something unknown, dark and mysterious. Kurtz is similarly unknown and shady character and is thus a personalization of the Congo itself. Over the course of this passage, Marlow’s character is seen to begin degrading and getting used to life in the Congo, and as his mind degrades as well we can see him becoming more and more on the level of the natives. I also thought that Marlow’s commentaries on the cannibals were very interesting- he is wary of them and unsure why they haven’t eaten him, this adds to the tone of madness that pervades this part and adds some paranoia to Marlow’s character, which certainly helps to reinforce the tone of his loss of reason. Another important factor is Marlow’s loss of respect for Kurtz when he finds that he has lost his “Europeanness” and has “gone native.”
I strongly agree with you Collin, I believe there is a dominant distinction between Europeans and native individuals throughout the book, yet, once Marlow's character adheres to the COngo's mindset he becomes part of the "inhuman" human. However, the Congo can also pertain to the "man versus nature" theme, in the sense that it's vastness, and darkness are uknown, un-mastered, and destructible to the unacostomed man. That is often why the natives are characterized as savages, because they are aware of Congo's dark truths.
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