Moral Bankruptcy

Reputation plays a blinding role in separating evil from good. Based on society’s depiction of ideals, the nature of man is looked past, constituting morality through the lens of societal construct. While civilization opposes savagery, each individual houses the duality of good and evil – evil being the domineering force. In Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, evil men masquerade behind their reputation in society, while self-perception allows ego to override moral bounds. Without societal input in configuring our moral compass, we lose the ability to navigate our two sides, turning to a primitive state; an innate evil.

In the heart of those we venerate, there is a place for evil. Pumped into it are the forces of evil that we do not see physically, as one’s reputation masks the malicious mind. Heart of Darkness presents Kurtz’s reputation and the way the characters within the novella see him. He is placed above many in the social hierarchy, and receives an almost Godly admiration from others, “‘Ah, so they talk of him down there,’ he murmured to himself. Then he began again assuring me that Mr. Kurtz was the best agent he had, an exceptional man of the greatest importance of the company.” (Conrad 32). Throughout the novella, Marlow is told of Kurtz’s reputation, though he has yet to meet him. The speaker in this text reinforces Kurtz’s reputation that has already been built up prior to Marlow’s arrival in the Congo. In the Congo, however, Kurtz’s race already puts forth a social dominance over the Natives. White people are seen as superior, which is cultural perception, nonetheless. Thus, Kurtz being white automatically gives him a reputation of righteous...

... middle of paper ...

...ng, but when they isolate themselves from the laws of society, which forms in us a moral code, we turn to a darker side that gives into selfish desires, which show we are innately evil and it is society that rights us from this.

Society organizes what is good and what is evil. Without it, we are lost. In Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, society teaches good and evil, and without societal input, we turn to a primitive state of evil. Reputation conceals the evil that is prevalent in the world, and ultimately, self-attainment buries moral conduct. People are inherently evil. Without the socialization of different institutions that teach us values, the evil within takes precedence over our soul. Moral bankruptcy is replaced within us, when we are isolated from society’s control of our lives.