Heart of Darkness

[Allycat]

I don't know, if anyone here is familiar with this novelleta by Joseph Conrad, on which Francis Ford Copolla's "Apocalypse Now" was based, but we had to read it for one of our literature-classes. Our Professor asked us to argue who the real hero of the story was Marlow or Kurtz, but I have no clue what to say. I felt, I didn't quite understand what Conrad meant to say with the story. Has anyone read it and could you explain?

 

[ana8]

Which part of it don't you understand exactly?

 

[Frenchy Faith]

OMG, I sympathize with you Allycat... we too are studying this book & all I have to say is HUH ?? Never ever read such a boring book. Alright, just a personal opinion though... & I can't really help you then, I didn't even noticed there was a problem of "hero".
I wish you a GOOOOOOOD LUCK !!! :sweat:

 

[Allycat]

Honestly, I'm not even bothered too much with not being able to indicate the hero. The main problem is just that I don't "get" it. In fact, when I, just now, read a summary (a trustworthy one at that) about the story, I concluded that I hadn't even understood the actual events taking place in the story.

 

[ana8]

Ok..in a nutshell..Kurtz can't be a hero..he bent all those African people to his will..They worshipped him like god,he used them for his selfish reasons.Thanx to them he was the best employee of his company(or however u translate that name into English) coz they showed him from where to get natural goods(ivory included). Marlowe on the other hand believed in always telling the truth and the only exception he made to this rule(side note: v.important in all J.C's books theory of simple rules aha no cheating ,lying etc) was when he decided to lie to Kurtz's fiancee that he died thinking bout her and not bout Africa(which by the way is what's meant by 'Heart of Darkness' as this was when the whole change in Kurtz happened- he 1st wanted to help Africans,even if he was slightly rasist in his beliefs, but due to the amoun of power those people gave to him he gave in to his dark side)

 

[Soulgasm]

come on...kurtz was a punk...total nut case...

i don't know if there are any real heroes in that story...cause that whole story is muddy..

apoc now is the best movie ever...