Heart Of Darkness Kurtz Evil

When taking a deep look into Heart of Darkness, and even more so the character of

Kurtz, it is easy to simply come to the conclusion that he was evil; malicious, devious, and abhorrent. This perhaps is all accurate. However, there are always at least two sides when it comes to a story like this. On one side Kurtz can be viewed as the ‘monster’ of the story, the villain. But on the other hand he could also be the savior, the hero. Perhaps even God. He was revered by those in Europe, his betrothed, and the natives. Though there was a change in him when he traveled to Africa. He was still the same enigmatic individual, but when he left the constraints of European society, something shifted, or maybe even snapped. When faced with an

environment

And was replaced with a new one; one where he deluded himself, and others into believing he was a God. One such article that delves into Kurtz’s character is “At the Heart of Darkness: Crimes against Humanity and the Banality of Evil.” Which analyzes the book through the acts that were committed against the natives, and the land, as well as Kurtz’s role in all of it. It looks at certain passages in the novel related to Kurtz such as his character, influence, and the outside worlds perspective of him, as well as those close to him, and even his own perception of himself. Even

Kurtz’s betrothed, the Intended, declared that he had a magnetic persona and that if he had stayed in Europe he would have risen high up in the ranks, almost like a type of ascension.

Still, the most dramatic transformation in Heart of Darkness arises from Kurtz's encounter with the primitive. Kurtz was a universally charismatic man about whom his Intended (the unidentified woman who remained in England and was betrothed to Kurtz) says with unintended irony: "Men looked up to him-- his goodness shone in every act. His example . . ." He was a cultured man, gifted in music, art, and rhetoric, a born leader with great potential. There was