Reader's Response #3

At Part III of Conrad's Heart of Darkness we have reached the core of the novel, where the buildup of the first parts leads to: it is a revelation of truth sipping from the Congo's wilderness, tragedy, a voice of a Shadow, a lie - truth deeply anchored in the heart of darkness. It is vast and complex, full of chaos and darkness, hard to grasp in its entirety. Therefore, concentrating of certain aspects of this part permits the reader to gradually piece together Conrad's overall message about life, the world. Kurtz is the centerpiece of this passage, around which the whole tale evolves: an better understanding of the character, and his words, is what helps the reader further understand the extent of his demise - and thus start to understand Conrad's conclusion.

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Kurtz is the dark, raw side of humanity. His desires, such as attaining a godlike status where he would be veneered by all, go to the extreme without any proper limits. He is not afraid to go beyond those boundaries, where the "unsound" awaits him- on the contrary, trespassing them is the only way for him to reach the fulfillment of his aspirations. He is the man without the restraints of society. The wilderness along with the 'primitive' culture of the natives have brought this out if him, they have "beguiled his unlawful soul beyond the bounds of permitted aspirations" (p.82). This is why he is so dependent on these people. They have not only given him a sense of power, but they are also what permitted him to 'decivilize' himself, letting loose his most profound desires. It is only through them that he can live with this notion that he can achieve what he wants to achieve: it is through/with them that he can finally live as he wants to live. His ultimate passion is to 'consume' the world: not just gain a dominance over it, but embrace its every aspect, fully grasp its complex integrity, be it.