Perceptions

Slowly, I turned each page over, revealing that there was less and less material in my right hand, not much more to go. I felt the end of Heart of Darkness rushed by, I didn’t have enough material to satiate myself and keep going deeper. However, one of the elements that struck out were the different perceptions the characters have about Mr. Kurtz. As the reader ventures into the heart of the Congo, we meet one of Kurtz’s admirers: “The man filled his life, occupied his thoughts, swayed his emotions” (Conrad, 104). This sentence stands up by itself, with three short but piercing descriptions of the way Kurtz impacted this man’s life. The reader needs to create a clear image of Mr. Kurtz: Why is he so important? Why do people always talk about him? Is he good or bad? Why is he there? What does Marlow think about him? Conrad doesn’t come out with a straightforward version of Mr. Kurtz, he evades the topic, juxtaposes different perceptions about him thus forcing the reader to discover and/or create his own version of the mysterious character.

Looking back at the novel’s narrator, I noticed how Marlow isn’t as significant as one would think so. In most first-person narratives, the narrator’s perception is extremely significant in the development of the plot. In Heart of Darkness; however, Marlow becomes separated from the struggles as a whole, he doesn’t intervene when describing the Congo, possibly to point out the deeper meaning of the work. Marlow’s opinions come in brief sentences which don’t have much effect ion the reader: “Mr. Kurtz was no idol of mine” (Conrad, 109). The change in Marlow’s perception of Mr. Kurtz should be of extreme significance, but it isn’t. It is blended in with descriptions of Kurtz’s job, Marlow’s daily adventures and reenactments of conversations and fights.

Likewise, Marlow’s narration helps the reader notice significant opinions and conclusions of the character’s relationship with Kurtz. As Marlow interacts with one of Mr. Kurtz’s admirers, he states that “for him Mr. Kurtz was one of the immortals” (Conrad, 117). The difference in opinions between the three characters previously described rests in their relationship with Kurtz. As the reader continues flipping pages, he notices how Marlow becomes one of Kurtz’s admirers, showing how it is just a matter of time to appreciate something about his personality. The discovery of such admiration becomes the reader’s task, looking between the lines, looking for Marlow’s development, how he changes opinions, simply looking for fluctuations in perception.