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Kurtz is a central fictional character in Joseph Conrad 's 1899 novella Heart of Darkness. A trader of ivory in Africa and commander of a trading post, he monopolizes his position as a demigod among native Africans. Kurtz meets with the novella's protagonist, Charles Marlow, who returns him to the coast via steamboat.
Kurtz resembles the archetypal “evil genius”: the highly gifted but ultimately degenerate individual whose fall is the stuff of legend. Kurtz is related to figures like Faustus, Satan in Milton’s Paradise Lost, Moby-Dick ’ s Ahab, and Wuthering Heights ’ s Heathcliff.
May 13, 2024 · Mr. Kurtz is one of the most enigmatic characters in 2oth century literature. He is an embodiment of European imperialistic approach and also an assault on European values. His contradictory personality fascinates Marlow and creates a pulse of curiosity in the mind of Marlow.
But in his time in Africa Kurtz is transformed from a man of moral principles to a monster who makes himself a god among the natives, even going so far as to perform "terrible rites." His transformation proves that for all of his talent, ambition, and moral ideas, he was hollow at the core.
Mr. Kurtz is a star agent of the Company who works in true ivory country, deep in the interior of Africa. Also, he goes crazy and dies.
Extended Character Analysis. Kurtz is a mysterious figure throughout much of the novel. Marlow first hears about him from the Chief Accountant, who describes him as a first-class agent in charge...
Mr. Kurtz, fictional character, the manager of a trading station in the interior of the Belgian Congo, in Joseph Conrad ’s “ Heart of Darkness ” (1902). This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.
