What
do you make of Marlow's reaction to the Helsman's death? And what about
Marlow's fear that Kurtz, too, is dead? I'm leaving this fairly open
ended, but I DO think it's important for you to reference the text. While
some of you have SUPERB answers, others have rather vague responses (these
don't receive full credit!).
The spears...instead of grenades/guns we see used in modern warfare in the attack reinforces Marlow's theory that the trip up the Congo River is a trip back in time. Marlow’s response to the helmsman’s death reflects the general atmosphere of contradiction: rather than mourning his right-hand man, Marlow changes his shoes and socks. He sees his brand new shoes as more important that the life of a man. To Marlow, the helsman is replacable, disposable...just like a pair of shoes. Marlow wants answers...his whole reason for going out to the Congo is to seek salvation and be enlightened. To meet Kurtz will mean finally being content. He can now match a name with a face. Marlow hopes to come to an understanding about what happens to men in the Congo. Helsman and Kurtz can be seen as foils of one another. Helsman- lacks restraint which Marlow appears to admire, just as Kurtz lacks restraint. Kurtz starts off as a smart scholar, goes to the Congo, and gives in to the worldly goods of ivory and riches. Both, Kurtz and Helsman die...because of their actions. On the flip side, one could see How Marlow mourns the two deaths. Marlow truly misses having his right-hand man by his side "he had done something, he had steered; for months I had him at my back--a help--an instrument. It was a kind of partnership.", yet with Kurtz- Marlow just misses the THOUGHT of him. "I am not prepared to affirm the fellow was exactly worth the life we lost in getting to him." Seperating the two deaths...Kurtz's death is almost seen as Marlow's dream of finding salvation, withering away. Kurtz represented hope for Marlow- that not everyone ended up mad in the Congo, yet even Kurtz couldn't resist the temptation of greed.
ReplyDeleteI agree that at least at this point in the book, Marlow misses the thought of Kurtz more than anything. Marlow seems to have viewed Kurtz as (an admittedly a twisted and imperfect) beacon of goodness. Kurtz's death would represent the death of any goodness in this heart of darkness for Marlow. (Jenny Park, 4th)
DeleteI think one could somehow...after doing the worksheet on Great Gatsby...connected Marlow's dream of talking to Kurtz, like Gatsby's dream of having that perfect life with Daisy. Gatsby has not seen Daisy in years, does not know who she has changed to be, yet still fantasizes about her- with his actions being direct effects of her. In HoD, Marlow dreams of his talks with Kurtz and yet, has never even met this man. When Marlow believes Kurtz to be dead, he is not saddened over the death of Kurtz, but more so the dream.
DeleteI agree with both of you as well. Marlow is living in a dream and becasue of that doesn't seem to have a hold on reality. He is missing or not understanding the complexity situations around him such as the death of Helmsman.
DeleteMarlow's reaction to the death of the Helman comes off cold. He seems to overlook it. " I had to make an effort to free my eyes from his gaze and attend to the steering"(112). However, I feel it was more a feeling shock . Marlow knew he was coming to a land filled with unknown, yet he is in disbelief as to how quick things can change. " To tell you the truth, I was morbidly anxious to change my shoes and socks." (113) This thought shows that Marlow wants to cling to reality with all the disbelief and illusion surrounding him. By changing his shoes, he can do something concrete. The face of the helman after his death seems to foreshadow what's left to come and/or the feelings of many who died in the wake of European colonization. " he frowned heavily, and the frown gave to his black death-mask an inconceivably somber, brooding, and menacing expression" (112).
ReplyDelete"There was a sense of extreme disappointment, as though I had found out I had been striving after something altogether without a substance" (113). After coming to the realization that Kurtz could be dead, Marlow seems to feel as if he's failed. His main goal in coming to the Congo was to explore the region, yet he has let this new goal form of finding and meeting Kurtz, this above-all presence. Once he comes to terms that this goal might not be met, he is crushed and feels slightly naive. He never felt he'd feel this way, but he has. "... My sorrow had a startling extravagance of emotion.." (113) The most clear comparison I can come up with, besides Gatsby, is Santa Claus. As children, we all hope, dream, and wish to meet Santa and put him on a pedal stool due to the positive attributes we hear in movies and books. Although we've never witnessed him, we feel this pull/connection based on other things. Yet, when we reach that age and learn the truth, it's a crushing blow. It's as if every cookie left out and the many hours we spent awake waiting was all for nothing. That's how I think Marlow feels, as if he realizes Santa won't be coming down the chimney. "...had I been robbed of a belief or had missed my destiny in life..." (114)
Marlow reacts to the two deaths quite differently. We see this as Conrad writes. Marlow seems quick in his response to the helsman's death, yet this intense psychological craziness ("startling extravagance of emotion") seems to happen as he dwells on the possibility of no Kurtz. It shows Marlow's worth of each life. The life of the foolish, black helsman who Marlow didn't really respect vs. The life of the unknown, white man who Marlow has yet to meet yet holds to a high regard. It shows the negative aspects of Marlow.
After the death of the helmsman, Marlow adopts a very pragmatic mindset. He can't let his "entrails" distract him from taking care of his boat and the men on it. Although asking the other white man to take the dead helmsman's spot is a practical course of action, it shows that Marlow is in fact affected emotionally by the whole ordeal. If he was immune to emotions like he wants to be, he would have been able to take control of the ship himself, but instead, he requires a moment to collect himself and compartmentalize what just happened. Evidence of his internal struggle is present in the statement "I was morbidly anxious to change my shoes and socks" (113). Marlow is dealing with the traumatizing events by solving one problem at a time, focusing on the trivial ones first. This shows an element of denial. He is acting like the only problem he has is that his shoes got messed up, but he knows this isn't true because he "flung one shoe overboard... unto the devil-god of that river" (113). He wants to excise all evidence of the atrocity he just witnessed, starting with his shoes. He doesn't want anything physical tying him to the death, but he does need a material focus to keep him sane.
ReplyDeleteBefore, Kurtz was his concrete goal that supplied him with the motivation to endure the constant trials of Africa, but with the death of his helmsman, Marlow begins to realize the possibility that Kurtz is dead too. This idea is devastating to Marlow because he felt like "he had been striving after something altogether without a substance" (113). The possibility of Kurtx's death makes Marlow realize that Kurtz was a false beacon of hope, a "pulsating stream of light, or [a] deceitful flow from the heart of an impenetrable darkness" (113). If Kurtz is dead, Marlow will lose the goal of being a "gifted creature" like Kurtz and lose his entire purpose for being in Africa.
Hai, Listar. ☼
DeleteI like the idea that Marlow wants to get rid of all "physical" evidence that relates to the death and that he handles trivial problems first. Especially after witnessing the shocking death, I feel like he'd need something to distract him from that instantaneous change. By starting with clearing the small problems, it's almost like he's found a source of progression in an environment where everything happens so drastically and at once.
I agree with your idea that Marlow wants to rid himself of the bloody memoirs that resulted from the death of the helmsman. However, I think that the actions of him throwing the shoes overboard were an emotional result of learning that Kurtz was dead. Marlow finds the death of the helmsman emotionally overwhelming, but he finds the possible death of Kurtz more important to him and acts more emotionally aggressive at the possibility than he did at the actual death of the helmsman.
DeleteJacob, I like how you brought back the idea of "entrails" and how characters need to have the stomach for immoral actions or adapt to the circumstances in the Congo in order to survive.
DeleteAlthough the helmsman's death was fairly insignificant and his job was replaceable, Marlow seems to struggle with his first encounter with death. Before his death, the helmsman was referred to many times as a fool- "He was the most unstable fool I has ever seen" (66), "That fool helmsman...was lifting his knees high, stamping his feet..." (67), "The fool nigger had dropped everything..." (68)- revealing Marlow's feelings of superiority over the man and how he was almost unqualified due to race and status. However, once the helmsman is struck by the spear, Marlow seems disturbed and very uncomfortable with this sight, feeling pity and a little remorse. In fact, Marlow shows his helpless desire to aid the man when he admits, "I had to make an effort to free my eyes from his gaze to attend the steering." (69). As much as he wants to help though, he knows he must move on and be productive in tending to the crew. It seems as though Marlow feels guilty for the way he treated the helmsman and tries to make it up some by retelling his death in a courageous and beautiful way, explaining how "his eyes shone with an amazing lustre" (69) and how he bravely "died without uttering a sound, without moving a limb, without twitching a muscle." (70). Through his description, Marlow makes the helmsman seem brave and pays him the proper respect and admiration due for his death. This first sign of the land and natives of the land killing off his acquaintances, creates an uneasy feeling for Marlow. All he wants is to rid himself of the terrible memory, and, with his shoes soaked with the helmsman's blood, decides to get rid of them. He tosses his brand new shoes overboard, throwing also the memories of the day's tragedies overboard as well: "The other shoe went flying unto the devil-god of that river." (71).
ReplyDeleteKnowing Kurtz might be dead as well forces Marlow to realize that a talk with him is the sole purpose of his trip down the river. He becomes anxious and distraught knowing, "'Now I will never hear him.'" or "'Now I will never shake him by the hand'" (70), and that all he wished for was to hear Kurtz, the man of wealth, power, and industry, talk. Since that has been his one goal for the past few months, he realizes that he is lonely, and feels as if he's "been robbed of a belief or has missed my destiny in life..." (71). Marlow seems to have been relying and wishing on a false hope that never will come true. Kurtz and the island remain a mysterious illusion.
Laurel,
DeleteI agree with you concerning Marlow's lack of respect for the helmsman, however I do not believe that he had the intention of making the helmsman sound more courageous than he was. On the contrary, Marlow seems to believe that the helmsman died because of his foolishness. While it is possible that the helmsman was brave by not crying out upon his death, it is also probable that he was too perplexed to make a sound. Also, why do you think that Marlow was so sure that Kurtz was dead? What do you think provoked him?
From the beginning of the novella to this point, Marlow had been somewhat lucky in the fact that he had been successful in attaining what he wanted. Even though it took several months, he was able to make his way towards the central station and a couple steps closer to Kurtz. In Marlow's mind, he and his crew were untouchable, whether it be because he was white, or he had cannibal friends on his side, or because he had the explorative mindset to get him there. Even when his crew was being shot at by arrows, Marlow remained calm as he thought that the arrows "looked as though they wouldn't kill a cat" (111). Marlow's feeling of immortality were shattered when the helmsman was killed. All of a sudden Marlow was subject to everything that he had thought himself invincible: the natives' wrath, the land's elusive effects, and death. Marlow's reasoning behind why he believes Kurtz to be dead is open-ended and uncertain. I believe that he feels guilty for losing such a vulnerable member of his crew, and he figures that if he could not protect his helmsman, who is there to protect Kurtz? When Marlow states that "I will never hear that chap speak after all'..." (113) we believe that he is referring to Kurtz, but it is quite probable that, in reality, he is thinking of the dead helmsman and how he had died with unspoken words on his lips, "Only in the very last moment, as though in response to some sign we could not see, to some whisper we could not hear, he frowned heavily, and that frown gave to his black death-mask an inconceivably sombre, brooding, and menacing expression" (112). Marlow is haunted by the helmsman's unspoken last words and tries to escape the death factor by throwing out his bloody shoes, and since he associates Kurtz with words and spoken wisdom, Marlow fears that this inability to speak will be a continuous theme during his time in the Congo. Marlow does not truly believe that Kurtz is dead, rather, he sees the helmsman struggle with words, even upon death, and is brought to the realization that some things may remain unspoken. If this is true, Marlow may not find what he is looking for in the Congo, especially since he states that "that was exactly what I had been looking forward to -- a talk with Kurtz" (113).
ReplyDeleteOn a side thought, it is peculiar that Marlow has blood on his shoes/feet rather than on his hands. He is not directly responsible for the helmsman's death, but the fact that the man's blood stained his shoes represents Marlow's feelings of superiority and his lack of concern for the man's life when all he is worried about are his feet. Perhaps Marlow has purposefully withdrawn himself from his crew members for the sake of being unaffected by any hardships they may face (such as death).
Clara,
DeleteI didn't think of Marlow feeling immortal, but due to your valid points, I can see it! You made a great observation. Also your mention of why Marlow's shoes were soaked in blood rather than his hands was a good insight as well. You've opened my eyes!
From your stand point, based on the way Marlow views his journey towards the center station and his reactions to the horrors of the Congo, what kind of person do you think Marlow is? (morally) Is there some part of Marlow that could, too, like Kurtz, be filled with darkness?
DeleteAt the Helmsman's death, Marlow is instantly affected by the man who died "without uttering a sound" (151). A death that probably would have affected him worse a few months ago, seems to bounce of the thick skin he has grown in Africa- or maybe it is absorbed? He seems to adopt a matter of fact attitude and immediately moves on to the next issue at hand by asking the agent "can you steer?" (151). He then proceeds to "change [his] shoes and socks", which is an interesting choice of action after witnessing a death (152). Eventually, Marlow throws the body overboard (disappointing the cannibals), which is his way of coping with what happened as well as simply getting done what needs to be done.
ReplyDeleteMarlow has shown a deep interest in the Kurtz man, and is immediately dismayed at the thought that "Kurtz is dead as well by this time" (152). When he sees one death, he is affected in such a way that he automatically assumes that the enigmatic Kurtz is also dead. I think this shows that there is some connection between Kurtz and Marlow, which is most likely a dark one. This irrational fear speaks for Marlow's inner need to meet the mysterious man and, plotwise, a crucial relationship that must be formed to complete the journey towards the heart of darkness. Also, I found it interesting that Marlow states that Kurtz "presented himself as a voice" (152). This goes back to how I saw the description of the landscape as being foggy and dependent on voices.
I also thought that it was interesting that Kurtz being presented as a voice, and the references to landscape having voices, was a notable connection. Perhaps the landscape- a symbol of the formerly pure and untainted Africa being poisoned by Europeans' darkness and corruption- describes Kurtz's character?
Delete^Jenny Park
DeleteThat is an interesting note- connecting two voices that have never actually been seen in the novella thus far, yet are two huge roles- Kurtz and nature. Kurtz- a voice, may be the epitome and symbol of the White man's greed..who will stop at nothing, not even madness itself, until he has exploited every last bit of the Congo. Nature, the other voice represent the older Africa- wild, free spirited, and unshackled.
DeleteI like how you described Marlow's reaction by saying, "A death that probably would have affected him worse a few months ago, seems to bounce of the thick skin he has grown in Africa- or maybe it is absorbed?" I think this statement sums up the journey and the atmosphere that we see in Heart of Darkness.
DeleteNames are given great importance throughout this novella; Conrad only gives the reader two names: Marlow and Kurtz. The other people Marlow meets are merely mentioned as the Station Manager or the Helmsman. This little clue should show the reader how Marlow would feel about the death of the Helmsman, but that is not what necessarily happens. Marlow does show a sense of callousness when he says, "To tell you the truth, I was morbidly anxious to change my shoes and socks" (Conrad 42). However, this death does seem to impact Marlow in a great way. For one, Marlow seems to finally understand the "wild" of Africa. When Marlow first arrived to Africa, he has been seeing suffering in each crevice of the country. This is the first instance that this feeling of suffering has touched him; he understands that it could have been him lying on the floor with the light fading out of his eyes. Marlow also shows grief over the death of his "friend": "I will never hear that chap speak after all, and my sorrow had a startling extravagance of emotion, even such a I had noticed in the howling sorrow if these savages in the bush" (Conrad 43). While Marlow could be talking about Kurtz, I feel that there is more evidence pointing to the fact that Marlow is talking about the Helmsman. Marlow did start seeing the Helmsman as an ignorant "horse", but Marlow started sympathizing the "chap" and admiring his hard work. His emotions depict the change that Marlow has experiencing after traveling towards the "heart of darkness."
ReplyDeleteMarlow is constantly searching for his "purpose." When he hears that Kurtz could be dead, Marlow thinks that he just made this trip for nothing: "There was a sense of extreme disappointment, as though I had found out I had been striving after something altogether without a substance" (Conrad 42). Marlow has been traveling through a land where there is no "order." He was hoping to reach Kurtz who is a symbol for order, for civilization. Marlow is constantly shown to be searching for this truth within the darkness; his search in the end leads him to Kurtz who holds the power of language. Kurtz has the "voice", which Marlow sees as the "pulsating stream of light" (Conrad 43).
Hey, Luvs.
DeleteI liked how you brought up the absence of names in the novel. I noticed a similar trend going into this part, and I think that the fact that a "nameless" character, the helmsman, managed to evoke some sort of emotion (with his death) out of Marlow definitely does say a lot about how the two characters are connected.
It was interesting to see how you thought that the portion about Hurtz could have also been about Helsman. When I was reading, I think I read too literally.
DeleteHello Luvi~
DeleteDo you think that perhaps Marlow's need to have a purpose to this trip connects back to his childhood? And how he yearned to map out all of Africa and fill in the "white space?" Furthermore, excellent point of how names are very rare. Do you think that this is how Marlow perhaps could be able to separate himself from everyone else? To create a barrier in order to protect his own heart?
That was a great point that only two character's have been given names. What do you think the reason for this is? Why Marlow and why Kurtz? Do you see meaning behind any of these names? Is it possible that because, namewise, these two are singled out, that they are connected in some way?
DeleteMarlow's reaction to the helmsman's death was similar to the approach of every European there: desensitized. His description of the death did not evoke any emotion from the reader either; he just talked about the death as if it as just "a matter of fact" rather than being a moment of trauma for him. He seems to be more attuned to the fact that his shoes are filled with blood. "My shoes were full"(122). He is able to keep his composure for the most part even when the other man comes in an they both watch the helmsman die. He shows no remorse for the loss of the helmsman, but remorse for the possibility the Mr. Kurtz is probably dead too. "I flung one shoe overboard, and became aware that that was exactly what I had been looking forward to-a talk with Kurtz" (123). I thin this sow his assimilation into the European mindset in Africa. The Europeans are there for business: get the ivory no matter the costs. Marlow's goal is to meet Kurtz therefore the death of his colleague does not affect him, rather it's the possible death of accomplishing his goal that gets the most reaction. Marlow's initial reason for coming to Africa was to explore it but now he is more interested in exploring the mind of Mr. Kurtz, this man that everyone is plotting against, that is supposed to be a prodigy and that can get the most ivory collected. He has digressed from his initial purpose of the trip and it is clear in his reaction to the death of the helmsman.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Natassja!
DeleteI agree with what you said about desensitization. I feel as though people use desensitization as a coping mechanism to protect themselves, which is ironic because it often makes people more prone to the evils around them.
I like how you related Marlow back to Europe as a whole
DeleteWhen the helmsman lays dying, Marlow's initial reaction is sadness and he is extremely affected by seeing a death first hand. "I had to make an effort to free my eyes from his gaze" (Conrad 88). However, as soon as the man dies, he becomes anxious to move and asks the agent to steer. Immediately after this, Marlow becomes preoccupied with removing his shoes and socks (bloodstained) and becomes angered at his fellows offhand comment about Marlow's supposed death and starts throwing his shoes away in a fit of anger. "Any by the way I suppose...is dead" "The other shoe went flying unto the devil-god of that river." (Conrad 89)
ReplyDeleteOverall, I feel as if Marlow has yet to have been "changed" by the darkness. He feels the sadness of the death of a human, yet he immediately shrugs it off as the expedition members did when a "helper" died and was left behind. Yet Marlow feels strong emotions upon disappointment when he thinks that Kurtz is dead and feels more emotion for the supposed death of someone he has yet to meet instead of the death happening in front of him.
Jennifer, I disagree with you on some points. I believe that Marlow has been changed by the darkness; I think he reacted the way he did because he was been accustomed to a world where death is commonplace.I took the shoes as him trying to get rid of the evidence of helmsman's death, like he was trying to dehumanize his existence. I thought that Marlow's anger was towards the possibility that Kurtz might be dead, not the helmsman's death.
DeleteI, too, believe that Marlow has already been changed. However, I do not believe that he has been accustomed to death already. Having said this, I believe that Marlow is rather shocked at this close view of death as he is only accustomed to hearing about death and seeing rather lesser levels of it at the stations. Thus, this extremely graphic view of death shows Marlow how gruesome his expedition truly is.
DeleteWe can just agree to disagree on the extent to which Marlow has changed on his journey into the heart of darkness... However, I did mention that Marlow's anger was directed towards the possibility of Kurtz's death. By the way, when you say "dehumanize his existence" are you referring to Marlow or the helmsman? Also, I never said that Marlow has become accustomed to death already. I said that Marlow doesn't view the death of the helmsman in a light of importance as he does with Kurtz's, and as a result the helmsman is "forgotten" in the moment. (Sorry! I think I'm getting defensive~)
DeleteAlthough on the surface Marlow tried to act cool and totally unaffected by the helmsman's death, he was in fact rattled by his death. He is for the first time being faced with the death of a European from a natives' attack. Symbolically, he is being forced to come to terms with how much he- Europeans- are hated and how much the natives- Africa- is trying to repulse them for bringing extreme moral darkness and corruption to her. (The representation of Europeans' bringing over corruption and darkness can be found in the description of the helmsman's face after his death; "...his black death mask an inconceivably somber, brooding, and menacing expression" (556). (Again, my paging is weird because I'm reading HoD from The Portable Conrad, which features a thousand other works by Conrad). It is clear that Marlowe is rattled by the helmsman's death when he expresses an unnecessary desire to change his socks and fidgeting with his shoes in order to occupy himself- "To tell you the truth, I was morbidly anxious to change my shoes and socks" (556) and " 'No doubt about it,' said I, tugging like mad at the shoelaces" (556).
ReplyDeleteReflecting on the helmsman's death leads Marlow to consider the real possibility that Kurtz too may be dead. He reports feeling extremely disappointed about never having the chance to meet with and converse with Kurtz: "The point was in his being a gifted creature, and that of all his gifts the one that stood out preeminently, that carried with it a sense of real presence, was his ability to talk, his words -- the gift of expression, the bewildering, the illuminating, the most
exalted and the most contemptible, the pulsating stream of light, or the deceitful flow from the heart of an impenetrable darkness" (557). Marlow's desire to talk with Kurtz symbolically reveals his desire to discover for himself and perhaps even differentiate between the good and the bad, the dark and the light.
(Jenny Park)
I am interested in what you said about Marlow's interest in Kurtz is his interest in differentiating between good/bad and dark/light. How would Kurtz help him to decipher between the two?
DeleteThe helmsman is the closest to a “named” character besides Marlow and Kurtz that will ever appear in the novella. To have more of a basis on this idea, it seems as though the named characters share a sense of connection that is absent between the rest of the characters. Even from the get-go, Marlow acknowledged Kurtz must have arrived at the Congo “with moral ideas of some sort” (Conrad 27). Despite not meeting the man, there was almost a sense of recognition and (even crazier) respect that Marlow had for Kurtz from the very beginning.
ReplyDeleteBack to the helmsman. Despite Marlow’s belief that the helmsman’s foolhardiness led to his demise, he did manage to connect with the man. The helmsman looks at Marlow twice before his passing—once right after getting injured and a second time moments before his death—and eventually stunned by the horrendous sight, Marlow “had to make an effort to free [his] eyes from his gaze” (Conrad 42). The fact that Marlow saw the helmsman’s expression the instant before his death gives some insight to the reader that indeed, there was a much greater impact on Marlow personally than explicitly stated; to look at another individual, connect with him for an instant, and have him suddenly taken away gives almost no time to react or process emotion. Marlow witnessed an instantaneous transition from alive and breathing to lifeless—a more striking event to behold as compared to already-dead corpses. The reader is left to infer that he did experience continuous discomfort about the death, especially in his urgency to remove the clothes stained with his companion’s blood; he knows that he can’t forget what he has witnessed, so at least he can remove some evidence. Regardless, the reader knows that the effect of those stains, whether or not a change of clothes occurs, cannot be washed clean or permanently removed.
In terms of Marlow fearing Kurtz’s death, it can also been seen not just fearing a physical death of Kurtz but the loss of an opportunity to face the workings behind the operations of the central station or the heart of darkness itself. Marlow states, “That was exactly what I had been looking forward to—a talk with Kurtz” (Conrad 43). Marlow wanted to speak to Kurtz—to hear from Kurtz and draw some sort of insight into his character—not to behold him like some spectacle. In losing this opportunity, not only would Marlow miss the chance to find out what kind of man Kurtz really is, but he would not be able to grasp the atrocities and inner-workings of the Congo environment. The inferred point of journeying to the heart of darkness, for Marlow at least, was to realize a greater, unspoken truth. Undoubtedly, if Kurtz dies, the truth dies along with him, and that is all there is for Marlow to really fear.
It was interesting to read about the connection between Marlow and the helsman because I didn't really see it at first. After reading your explanation, I think I see it, especially with how Marlow was able to view helsman's face right before death.
DeleteHi, Cynthia!
DeleteI liked how you talked about Marlow's connection to the Helmsman during his last moments - I was really interested in that, too. You also mentioned Marlow's need to remove the blood of the dead Helmsman. To what extent do you think guilt plays a role in Marlow's feelings about the late Helmsman? Do you think that this guilt will drive Marlow's decisions throughout the rest of the story?
-Leigh
Even when reading, I was shocked when the people on the ship like the man with the sounding-pole and the fireman suddenly fell down dead. However, when Helsman fell down dead right in front of Marlow, and his blood covered Marlow’s feet, I didn’t expect Marlow to react the way he did. The novella didn’t really show the same shock and disappointment that Marlow felt when he realized that Kurtz might have also died. There were many physical descriptions of Helsman like the “amazing luster” (Conrad 88) of his eyes, but the quote that I remembered most from the scene with Helsman’s death was when Marlow said, “We two whites stood over him” (Conrad 88). This quote just made Helsman’s death as an event that was just looked over by superior figures, who didn’t consider his death to be very important. Also, Marlow shows his desire to clean off the blood on his feet as he was “morbidly anxious to change [his] shoes and socks” (Conrad 89), which also shows Marlow’s lack of care towards Helsman. Marlow just seems to see Helsman as a part of the ship, and when he dies, Marlow just seems to move on. On the other hand, Marlow isn’t sure that Helsman died, but he still worries greatly about Kurtz, more than the amount of concern he gives to an actually dead man. Marlow continuously talks about how he “he had been looking forward to a talk with Kurtz” (Conrad 89) and how “for the moment [Kurtz] was the dominant thought” (Conrad 89). Yet again, I want to emphasize that all Marlow worried about was the possible death of Kurtz and the possible end of his dream. He doesn’t pay much attention to the man dead at his feet. I found Marlow’s reactions to both Helsman’s real death and Kurtz’s possible test to be ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteHa Young Kim (4th BLOCK)
HI Ha Young,
DeleteYour assessment that Marlow sees the helmsman as just another part of the ship is very interesting and worthy of merit. As soon as he is dead Marlow finds someone else to take his job. Also, the Europeans are using the Congolese as a vehicle of exploitation, just as Marlow is using them to get deeper into the heart of darkness to talk to Kurtz.
Whoa it didn't even occur to me that the other people died. I just thought they were ducking for cover. I also like how you analyzed the physical position of the two white men over the dead black man.
DeleteHi, Ha Young!
DeleteI'm intrigued by the way you analyzed Marlow's reaction to the Helmsman's death as compared to his reaction to the possible death of Kurtz. Do you think that, perhaps, Marlow's seemingly unaffected reaction to the death of the Helmsman is more the result of a state of shock? It was definitely a very immediate event for him. Additionally, maybe Marlow's concern over Kurtz is not as much over the man himself but rather over the loss of his own hope. What do you think?
-Leigh
One might see Marlow's reaction to Helsman's death absurd but was it surprising ? Marlow is blood thirsty with a curiosity that might drive him mad to find out who Kurtz really is.To meet Kurtz will be to create a whole in a world lacking in so many things by matching a man with his voice, Marlow hopes to come to an understanding about what happens to men in places like the Congo. So naturally although it is repulsing to see him more concerned with his shoes and the blood on them rather than a fellow shipmate it isn't without thought that this helps shape a better picture of who he is and what kind of morals he has. We see his other shipmates in awe at his reaction he simply laughs as if they are naïve babies who don't understand the loss and deprivation that comes with the Congo .
ReplyDeleteBut the question that is in the back of my mind is where did Marlow's pity and sympathy go from the beginning of the novella. The answer is nowhere although i still think his main desire was to get to Kurtz I also have reason to believe Marlow was secretly grieving his right hand mans death. Remember that there is a ship full of cannibals waiting until after the funeral to take advantage of the body. He said that after he threw it overboard he even heard grumbles and protests that their next meal had been thrown away. Marlow says that the body was only intended for the fish not the other crew members. Marlow was in initial shock and reacted in a way that isn't uncommon its like the five stages of death first comes denial then rage and somewhere along the way is acceptance .
Hey Maddie! I like how you mention how the darkness of the Congo slowly having an effect on Marlowe, just like it had an effect on Kurtz. He seem to have a little less lack of humanity then he did before, but I believe that is because he is constantly being surrounded by death that it has become an everyday scenario. I also agree with you that it is right to think that Marlowe is trying to focus on Kurtz in order to find purpose in the madness that he is in.
DeleteAt first, Marlowe seemed distress when he witness the helmsman’s dying. “[Marlow] had to make an effort to free [his] eyes from his gaze and attend to the steering” (106). However, afterwards, Marlowe’s reaction to the helmsman’s death seems to be unmoved, almost cold-like. Once the attack receded, Marlow eagerly asks a nearby agent if he can replace the helmsman, while in the inside experience a “morbidly anxious to change [his] shoes and socks” (106). It can be seen here that Marlowe is trying to distance himself from this death by focusing on the importance of the helmsman. (Similarly, like the soldiers in The Things We Carry by Tim O’Brien, the helmsman is easily replaced, and thus is not much of a loss for him. This mentality can also describe the European’s view towards the people of the Congo; why bother to treat them properly, they reason, when there are thousands of them that can take the place of a sickly laborer? )He also answered nonchalantly to the agent asked if the helmsman’s death with the words “No doubt about it” (106). He quickly took off his shoes into the “devil-god of that river.” Also like the soldiers from O’Brian’s story Marlowe seems to be trying to distant himself away from the present’s despair by removing his feelings from the situation, to make it less painful to deal with. He focuses on his blood stain shoes and socks, instead of the dead body that lies before him, and wishes to dispose of them as quickly as possible in order to forgo thinking about the tragedy that happens before him.
ReplyDeleteIronically, instead of being sadden over the helmsman’s death, Marlowe frets over the possibility of the death of Kurtz (which is possibility another means to delay his reaction to the helmsman’s death). Unlike the helmsman, Kurtz cannot be easily replaced; he is, after all, “a prodigy… an emissary of pity and science and progress….” (75). Since he has never meet him, Marlowe falls in love with the idea of Kurtz, the idea of him of being a “gifted creature, and that all of his gifts the one that stood out…was his ability to talk” (107). He compares him to the “light or the deceitful flow from the heart of an impenetrable darkness,” or the one that can make sense of the insane situation he finds himself in (107). In all, he finds purpose in Marlowe, the answer that will bring to relief and a sense of security to all of his struggles that he has experience so far, including the helmsman’s death. This false sense of illusion is similar to the one Gatsby has of Daisy: it is the idea, not the person, that Gatsby and Marlowe is in love with, and his blindness of the reality may ultimately lead to Marlowe’s downfall, just like Gatsby’s.
As Marlow travels deeper and deeper towards the center of the Congo he creates more and more of an illusion as he experiences and hears more information. Marlow has created a fantasy about who Kurtz is even though he has never seen him. He has become obsessed with the idea of meeting Kurtz and learning about his business and how he became so wealthy and well known. "There was a sense of extreme disappointment, as though I had found out I had been striving after something altogether without a substance." (113) Marlow's entire purpose and motivation to keep traveling even through all the dangers was just to meet one man so much so that he was able to look at a dead man and feel so hurt or pain for his dead companion. All Marlow was concerned about was changing his shoes and socks. "To tell you the truth, I was morbidly anxious to change my shoes and socks." (113) The fact that Helmsman was dead was as if it was an inconvience to Marlow to have to change his shoes and socks because there was blood all over them. His next immediate thought went straight back to Mr. Kurtz and his condition. Mr. Kurtz is Marlow's entire thought process and world. Marlow is so consumed with Mr. Kurtz and finally being able to speak to him and that he is untouched and could care less about a dying man and a rolling head next to his feet. The farther Marlow travels into the Congo the more he changes into someone unhuman.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said about how Marlow has created a fantasy about Kurtz. He has idolized him so much that I feel like now it is all about the chase. He has been after Kurtz for so long, so now that he feels he won't ever be able to meet him he starts to realize why he truly wanted to meet him in the first place. I also liked what you said about how traveling deeper into the Congo has caused Marlow to become more inhuman.
DeleteAs Marlow looks into the eyes of the black helmsman, he notices the life being drained out of them and being replaced by a glassy look. At this point as Marlow watches a man he worked with die and feels the blood of this man seep into his shoes, Marlow truly begins to understand the impact of death. Though he had witnessed brutality and death at the various stations, Marlow only now realizes what it means to be so near death. Personally, I find this a very crucial moment in Marlow's experience. As he witnesses the helmsman's death, I see him beginning to become disillusioned with his expedition and dreading the future. “He looked very dubious; but I made a grab at his arm, and he understood at once I mean him to steer whether or no,” (pg. 158) shows that even by this one attack, Marlow was too shaken up to even help his crew into safety. This not only shows the impact of seeing death first- hand on Marlow, but also clearly depicts the theme of survival. It shows that only those who are truly strong mentally and physically can travel to the heart of hell.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, Marlow’s disappointment at the possibility of Kurtz’s death clearly depicts the reason of this entire expedition. Despite the want for ivory that drives many of the other, Marlow is traveling solely to learn of this foreign land and its mysterious master. “For the moment that was the dominant thought. There was a sense of extreme disappointment, as though I had found out I had been striving after something altogether without a substance,” (pg. 159) further proves that Marlow was on an expedition of knowledge rather than an expedition of money and power. Another note to be taken is the way Kurtz is portrayed in this passage. Before this incident, Kurtz was an unseen figure who made his impact through rumors and actions that can not be witnessed first-hand. He was a man who can only be heard of, rather than seen. Here, Marlow realizes to himself that this mysterious and unseen man will never be able to be seen as he, too, was killed. This epiphany brings despair upon Marlow as Kurtz’s apparent death puts an effective end to the expedition’s motive.
When I first read that the helmsmen died, I wasn’t quite sure if what I read was actually correct. Marlow didn’t start off by saying “he died,” but rather just allowed the reader to infer death when he said, “[He] fell upon my feet” (56). This shows that Marlow has a hard time accepting the helmsman’s death. Marlow wants to appear as this strong, brave man, but in reality he is somewhat affected by the loss on an emotional level. The reader can also see Marlow’s feeling of disappoint due to the loss of the helmsman. He states, “We were clear of the snag, and looking ahead I could see that in another hundred yards or so I would be free to sheer off, away from the bank” (56). Despite the harsh comments Marlow made about the helmsman previously, we can hear almost a tone of regret in this comment he makes. It is as if he wishes the helmsman could have hung on just a bit longer until they were able to reach freedom and safety. While reading this portion, I thought that maybe I would be able to see a more open-minded and respectful side of Marlow—especially in a time of death; however, he quickly returns to a racist perspective when he illustrates how he saw the helmsman by saying, “We two whites stood over him” (57). This creates a contrast between the two races and leads into Marlow’s main focus—reaching Kurtz.
ReplyDeleteEven with the sadness brought upon by the helmsman’s death, Marlow narrows in on his true quest of meeting Kurtz. His concentration on the “extreme disappointment” of Kurtz’s possible death takes away from the attention that could be directed toward the helmsman. This shows Marlow’s selfishness, which is possibly what could be the main quality that will eventually make him like Kurtz. Marlow realizes that his goal of meeting Kurtz isn’t actually a tangible goal, but rather it is more about connecting with Kurtz and being impacted by his “voice.” Marlow’s feeling of loneliness due to his belief that he will never be able to meet a man whom he admires, partly because of his “ability to talk…from the heart of an impenetrable darkness” (58), allows the reader to further begin to understand the darkness Marlow also possesses.
Miranda,
DeleteI was also confused at first due to Marlow words of the death of the helsman. I took his lack of words more as shock, but I see your point that he really felt regret.
I like how you said that Marlow had a hard time accepting the death of Helmsman. Maybe he's avoiding the subject and not accepting it because he doesn't want any problems keeping him from meeting Kurtz, the man he has now come to idolize.
Delete"I am not prepared to affirm the fellow was exactly worth the life we lost in getting to him" (50). We see in this quote a sense of apprehension that Marlow feels with the recent death of the helmsman. He feels both guilt and regret with their decisions on the journey as they had to lose a life in order to pursue after Kurt's station. We see this parallel of Kurtz and Gatsby (provided by Ms. York) that both release a sense of mystery and awe to them and with both they are only identified by what the people have heard of them. So we only find it natural for Marlow to be so fascinated by Kurtz, a "prodigy" "an emissary of pity and science and progress" (75). With the death of the helmsman we see this switch go off in his head. Once filled with worry ad empathy was now remote and distant focused on much more pressing issues. We can say that in order for Marlow to deal with such an encounter with death, he had to switch off his emotions (a common psychological coping mechanism) in order to deviate from the horror. We see that in this point in the story that Marlow is starting to face the realities of the Congo journey and is adapting. When Marlow "changes his shoes" (115) we can see him physically throwing away and refusing to face the facts of what just happened. He then turns and focuses on whether or not Kurtz is still alive. We can refer back to his fascination and mystery with Kurtz to be why he fears he is dead. With Kurtz being dead he can no longer fufill his fantasies of this mysterious "Kurtz" that he has heard so much about. So with the death of such a character he will no longer have a hope of someone who could have better humanity than what (and who) he has faced so far. Kurts is his shining hope of salvation. Marlow raises this question right after the death of the helmsman since that is the moment when he needs the reassurance of humanity the most.
ReplyDeleteMarlow, following the helmsman’s death, is “morbidly anxious” to change his shoes and socks. His reaction at first seems rather peculiar, but upon inspection is symbolic. Marlow is an outsider, a foreigner in the Congo who has come under the pretense of spreading the light to the natives there, but in reality he knows the dark truth. The Europeans are there solely for profit. Marlow needing to change his shoes acts as a metaphor for him washing his hands of the atrocities going on around him. He is not without entrails and feels guilty of what is happening and wants to extricate himself from any kind of blame.
ReplyDeleteFrom this scene, it can be inferred that the darkness and perpetual “fog” is beginning to get to him, altering his mind as the doctor warned. The Marlow in the beginning, outside of the heart of darkness, could barely stand to see dying men without getting ill. Now he’s become desensitized to the cruelty, which illustrates that people adapt to their surroundings. “The mind of man is capable of anything- because everything is in it…”(53)
The helmsman’s death is just a slight inconvenience, which is why he immediately asks “Can you steer?” to one of the other men around. This attitude reminds me much of the accountant’s when he becomes irritated at the sounds of a dying man and believes it will distract him from accuracy. However in this case Marlow makes it seem as the helmsman’s death is distracting him from his pursuit of Kurtz.
One of the more memorable parts of his reaction to the helmsman’s death is him losing faith that Kurtz’s wellbeing. The fact that he cares more about Kurtz show’s his inherent racism. When an African dies he’s disposable, but when a white trader dies it’s gravely concerning. However, the death of the helmsman seems to remind him of everyone’s mortality which seems to drive him mad.
Just a side note: Is Kurtz described as having many voices because he stole them from the Congolese? Maybe…?
Hey Dierra,
DeleteI could not help but think of Macbeth during this part and how Lady Macbeth wanted to wash her hands of her sins. Also, I like how you mention how Marlow's reaction is symbolic. And excellent question at the end. Perhaps we need to read further to truly find out? And why do you think Marlow would want to blame himself for the death of the Helmsman?
Although Marlow seems to brush off the Helmsman's death, there is an obvious feeling of shock and anxiety that lies underneath. He tries to separate himself from what has just occurred when he says "I had to make an effort to free my eyes from his gaze and attend to the steering"(106) which clearly shows this death has affected him on an emotional level. Marlow was "morbidly anxious to change his shoes and socks" (106) that were filled with the bloody reminders of the helmsman's death because it suddenly made him think of Kurtz. It brought the daunting thought to his mind that because the natives killed this man, they have probably killed Kurtz too.
ReplyDeleteMarlow's reaction to the possibility of Kurtz being dead, starts to shows how his character is changing throughout the novella. As he travels deeper and deeper into the darkness of Africa and closer and closer to Kurtz, his motives and priorities start to change. He admits that meeting Kurtz and hearing his words "was the dominant thought" (107). As his journey through to the heart of darkness progresses, Marlow becomes enthralled by the mere thought of Kurtz and "his being a gifted creature" and "his ability to talk" (107). He refers to this man he has never met as "the pulsating stream of light, or the deceitful flow from the heart of impenetrable darkness" (107). He is so concerned that his entire purpose for traveling all this way has been ruined by the death of the helmsman which he believes signifies the death of Kurtz. Because of this, Marlow's display of shock and disbelief towards the death of the helmsman, show not concern and disappointment for the man that actually died, but for the illusion of a man he thinks has died.
I think Marlow does not really care about Helsman's death at all. Instead of being sorrowful, he says "To tell you the truth, I was morbidly anxious to change my showes and socks." This shows how he thinks of his brand new shoes as more important than a life of not just any man, but his right-hand man. Marlow's fear that Kurtz is dead makes it look like the world would end for Marlow. He says, "Now I will never see him or Now I will never shake him by the hand, but I wiill never hear him." Here, it sounds like he thinks of Kurtz as a godly figure and he seeks to meet him in person to be gratified. Kurtz represented hope for Marlow and now because of his thought of him being dead, his hope starts to diminish.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you in that Marlow couldn't care less about the death of a man, all he cared about was seeing the man he has for so long idolized, Kurtz. He is more troubled simply by the thought of Kurtz dying than by the actual death of Helsman.
DeleteI also agree with you in which Marlow looks at Kurtz as God-like, but I also find it weird that earlier in the novella, Marlow was jealous of Kurtz and talking negatively about him. Why does Marlow hold him on this high pedestal if he wants to take Kurtz place?
DeleteMarlow's initial reaction to the death of the Helmsman was the that of shock, "I had to make an effort to free my eyes from his gaze and attend to the steering" pg.88 and this is understandable as he had just seen a man die, but then his behavior shifted to that of a sort of nervous indifference. He was eager for the pilgrim to steer the boat so he could clean up and change his shoes and socks to rid himself of the blood and wipe his hands clean of the unpleasant matter, it was a very pragmatic response to the climactic situation of the death of a man,so very much that it was absurd. Marlow then stated “The other shoe went flying unto the devil-god of that river. I thought, ‘By Jove! it’s all over. We are too late" pg. 89 and by this time the predominant thought is that of extreme disappointment that the journey he has made will be in vain, and he will never have the opportunity to meet Mr. Kurtz. I think the opposing reactions between the witnessing the death of a man in front of him and the possibility of the death of man he has yet to meet is illustrative of the deep rooted connection between Kurtz and Marlow. Marlow, from the very beginning, has been infatuated with this idea of Kurtz, with the voice he represents (pg.89) his fate is intertwined with Kurtz's. Marlow is desperate to speak to this man who has lived in the heart of darkness for so long and experienced the trials one endures when living among savages in this place which has already driven so many to madness. If Kurtz was unable to withstand the treacheries of this dark land who's to say Marlow will not fall to the same fate. Marlow needs Kurtz to be alive and all right because he is a beacon of hope and without him Marlow may succumb to the same madness that so many before him did.
ReplyDeleteConrad has a tendency of delaying the confirmation of events. When there were arrows coming towards the boat before saying arrows, he writes "Sticks, little sticks were flying about-thick: they were whizzing before my nose, dropping below me, striking behind me against my pilot-house" (Conrad 103). The reader is able to infer what is going on in the novella; however, Conrad delays confirmation. He did the same with the death of the Helmsman.
ReplyDeleteMarlow's reaction to the Helmsman was very strange. It can be inferred that Marlow feels guilty that the Helmsman has died; he is also very eager to be rid of the shoes that he is wearing that are no smeared with blood. I could not help but think of Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth felt guilty for killing a man and is found in one scene furiously attempting to "wash her hands of any blood." The guilt slowly consumes here and she ultimately goes insane. Perhaps the Helmsman's death could be the mark of Marlow's psychological descent into darkness. However, Marlow immediately seeks to replace the Helmsman, making it seem as if the Helmsman is just another disposable object: "'Can you steer?' I asked the agent eagerly" (Conrad 106). This seems to be a constant occurrence throughout the second part of the novella. An essence of respect is shown towards the natives; however, for every iota of respect shown there is a degrading comment of some sort. When Marlow stood over the Helmsman's body he mentioned how is expression was "lustrous" and "inquiring" (Conrad 106). Marlow later goes on to mention how the face becomes "inconceivably sombre, brooding, and menacing" (Conrad 106). Perhaps this constant back and forth is a way for Marlow to cope with the atrocities being committed towards the natives. Marlow respects them, but he is prevented from truly showing his respect due to the circumstances that he is in.
Marlow's reaction to the Helmsman's death was extremely apathetic when compared to his reaction to thinking that Kurtz is dead. Marlow comes to the realization that his true purpose for the entire trip was to have "a talk with Kurtz" (Conrad 107). Perhaps this could be connected to how Marlow feels that work leads to personal improvement and it is through having a purpose that one can truly grow while working. This could also have a connection to how Marlow had always wanted to go to Africa; hearing Kurtz's voice replaced Marlow's initial purpose of mapping the African continent.
Emotionally, the helmsman’s death is probably one of the most striking events for Marlow. To this point, Marlow had always acknowledged the danger of the forests, but this is what truly allows him to experience that danger. On the surface, Marlow may treat the death rather casually, but the narrator’s description of how his “lean face, appeared, worn, hollow with downward folds and dropped eyelids…” shows the emotional toll that he is feeling as he recounts the experience (Conrad 124). Marlow being the hardy sailor he is, he would not have shown much outward signs of shock at the death, but this subtle hint as well as his anxiousness “to change my shoes and socks… tugging like mad at the laces” (Conrad 123) indicate that he definitely felt a stronger emotional reaction to the death.
ReplyDeleteKurtz represents much more to Marlow than just another person. Marlow’s reason for continuing with the expedition despite the signs that the area was unsafe was solely to meet Kurtz. Marlow claims “There was a sense of extreme disappointment, as though I had found out I had been striving after something altogether without a substance” (Conrad 123). The loss of Marlow would mean that his entire expedition and the hardships he experienced would have been for naught.
Hasit, other than a kind of "emotional release," is there any other significance to the fact that Marlow needed to change his shoes and socks after the helsman's death?
DeleteThroughout Heart of Darkness, Marlow makes his meeting with Kurtz his goal. Even if Marlow does not realize this at first, his narration reveals that as he travels toward the “heart of darkness” he is also traveling towards Kurtz. “We crept on,” he says, “towards Kurtz” (33). Later, he mentions the difficulty of using landmarks to judge his “progress towards Kurtz by” (34).
ReplyDeleteIn a sense, the helsman’s death is a cathartic experience for Marlow. After witnessing the helsman’s death, Marlow realizes the fragility of life in the Congo. He has always understood the “savage” nature of the Congo and its dissimilarities with that of life in the Western world, but he views Kurtz – a man who he has heard much about – as a constant in a sea of chaos. Whereas the other colonizers stand in sharp contrast with Marlow (they possess poor work ethic and only care about social stratification), only Kurtz possesses any chance of civility and explanation. Marlow’s breakdown after the helsman’s death – when he flings “one shoe overboard” (43) and becomes aware that he “had been looking forward to . . . a talk with Kurtz” (43) – is his manner of coping with the turmoil of his emotional and physical ordeals traveling toward the “heart of darkness.”
Marlow has to meet Kurtz and not even the death of Helsman will keep him from doing so. I believe that Helsman's death did not affect him at all other than make him worry about the state in which Kurtz is in. Removing the blood stains was the only thing that really affected him aside from Kurtz's well being. "To tell you the truth, I was morbidly anxious to change my shoes and socks." If Kurtz is dead, then all hope is lost. Marlow is more troubled simply by the thought of Kurtz dying than by the actual death of Helsman. The only thing that really was of concern after the death of Helsman was the well being of Kurtz because if Helsman can die, who's to say that Kurtz isn't already dead as well? Marlow is hiding from himself the complexity of the issues around him because he is too focused on meeting Kurtz. This uncertainty of Kurtz's state is what most plagues the mind of Marlow. “The mind of man is capable of anything- because everything is in it."
ReplyDeleteI found it very disturbing that Marlow was more interested in the blood on his shoes, than the Helsman being dead in front of him. I think Marlow is slowly loosing his ability to feel human emotion the more he drifts closer into the darkness. He's forgetting where he came from, and becoming more like other Europeans such as The Chief Accountant, Manager, and others and is shutting out the truth to the corruption of the business, and letting the desire to obtain power and greed overtake him. I also think that the lack of conscience contributes to the hypothesis of Marlow actually becoming more savage or even guilty--referencing Pontius Pilate="blood on his hands", in which the site of the death of one of his own causing him to go into shock. It could be that Marlow was so worried about his shoes getting dirty because, they were the only "piece of purity" he had left on the island.
ReplyDeleteWhen Marlow encountered the death of the helmsman it seemed like he didn’t care, but because he was new to the situation and his surroundings, he was actually in disbelief. He couldn’t find a good way to process what he had just witnessed. “A pool of blood lay very still, gleaming dark-red under the wheel; his eyes shone with an amazing lustre” (pg56). At first I thought that the “dark, savage world” was slowly embedding itself into Marlow’s soul, but when he goes to change his shoes it’s like he was in shock and wanted to rid his mind of the death. “I had to make an effort to free my eyes from his gaze and attend to the steering” (pg. 57). Marlow continuing to steer made him realize just how scary it was being in an unknown, mysterious land. As Marlow travels deeper in to darkness he becomes absolutely obsessed with Kurtz. Kurtz was seen as a remarkable person who had a larger than life persona, everyone knew of what type of “gifts” that he had to offer such as Ivory, and his way of receiving them. Marlow had never met him but based off of what others said he held him on a pedestal. When the helmsman was killed he began to wonder if Kurtz had died too. He became mad, and didn’t want this entire trip to become a lost cause because he didn’t get to meet Kurtz.
ReplyDeleteOnce Marlow witnesses the death of the Helsman the reader slowly drifts apart from sympathy to Marlow. Initially, Marlow is shocked once he sees the Hulsman dying, but Marlow then becomes more engaged in the blood on his shoes. We can reference the worksheet that Ms. York gave us comparing the Heart of Darkness to Breaking Bad. The same way that we begin to dislike and cheer against Walter White is the same feelings that we have towards Marlow. Hulsman's death created a sense of vulnerability in Marlow because it shows how he is capable of dying out in the jungle. But the fear of death will not stop his corruption of getting more money. Marlow also was committed to meeting Kurtz, and the Hulsman's death made him consider Kultz's condition. If Helsman could die, why couldn't Kurtz?
ReplyDeleteOOOH!!! I love that you said, "..Helsman's death created a sense of vulnerability in Marlow.."!!!! I totally agree with that!! Good job Lar Lar.
DeleteMarlow obviously "freaks out" - for lack of a better word- when he realizes the Helsman is dead at his feet. He begins to go "mad", as the book said, "..tugging like mad at the shoelaces.". (pg 42) This shows the shock he was in, like any "normal" person would be in, but it also alludes to the fact that has he ventures deeper and deeper into this new entity he starts to lose his mind. I feel that he believes Kurtz is dead because he is starting to lose his mind and questioning the fact of why he even began this journey. Therefore if everything is dying around him, and inside of him, why couldn't the infamous Kurtz?
ReplyDeleteWhen Marlow first introduces the reader to the Helmsman, he describes the man with a sort of contempt. After briefly illustrating his physical appearance, he calls him, “the most unstable kind of fool I had ever seen” (Conrad 54). Later in the passage, when the Helmsman becomes unnerved at the attack of the native tribe, Marlow describes him in degrading, animalistic terms, saying that he looked “like a reigned-in horse.” However, upon his death, the Helmsman achieves a sort of sanctity to Marlow. Marlow sees him as a mystery, a victim to forces that he cannot understand. In the Helmsman’s last moments, Marlow feels a human connection to him. He says of him, “I declare it looked as though he would presently put to us some question in an understandable language; but he died without uttering a sound…” (Conrad 57). This idea that the man may be so connected to Marlow troubles him; he sees death as more of a reality than he had before. This causes him to worry greatly about whether Kurtz is alive or dead. He laments that, “I will never hear that chap speak after all…” (Conrad 58). He wonders then about the futility of his journey, and he imagines all that death can take away – such as the chance to meet the famed Kurtz. Is death, he wonders, able to cause his whole journey into the heart of darkness to be entirely useless? Will his spiritual journey account for nothing?
ReplyDeleteMarlow's reaction to death show that the darkness has begun to overtake him. The longer he remains in the jungle we see him loosing his mind, sense of morality, and a sense of himself. Instead of showing remorse for the hellsman he is worried about the blood that is around his shoes. Marlow believes that this is a minor setback and nothing can get in his way. He has become "obsessed" with meeting Kurtz and he will go through anything to have a talk with him. "I flung one shoe overboard, and became aware that that was exactly what I had been looking forward to-a talk with Kurtz" (123). Just like Marlow flung his bloody shoe overboard, he flung the body of the hellsman overboard. Comparing a shoe to a body seems rather savage, but in Marlow's eyes both are disposable.
ReplyDeleteWhen Marlow comes to the realization that Kurtz may be dead he feels extreme disappointment. "There was a sense of extreme disappointment, as though I had found out I had been striving after something altogether without a substance" Similar when we find out our favorite holiday character aren't real- Easter Bunny, Santa Clause, the tooth fairy, etc. You spend your whole life eager to meet that one person, and to find out they may not be real or in Marlow's case, may be dead, is a hard idea to swallow. He spent all this time traveling up the Congo river nearly losing his mind and sense of himself to realize the one mean he longed to talked to could possible dead.
Samsung Titanium Watch | Titanium Industries
ReplyDeleteLG Watch. By titanium sheet metal Ayden Felt. 10 Feb 2020 in The Apple Watch, the fallout 76 black titanium company is now offering Samsung infiniti pro rainbow titanium flat iron Gear smart watches. The graphite titanium babyliss pro smart watches, the best watch camillus titanium knife app and
v993k0vhrde193 penis sleeves,glass dildo,g-spot dildos,pink dildoe,cheap sex toys,love dolls,wolf dildo,women sex toys,dog dildo a108m0wojld631
ReplyDeletenq800 cheap nfl jerseys,Cheap Jerseys free shipping,nfl shop,cheap jerseys,wholesale jerseys,nfl jerseys,Cheap Jerseys china,cheap jerseys,Cheap Jerseys china um930
ReplyDelete