The goodbye/thank you visit to his aunt - What are his aunt's ideas about him? How do these evidently affect his reception later on, when he's working his way up the Congo? How do they connect with the kind of reputation Kurtz has?

Marlow’s aunt express a naïvely idealistic views of the Company’s mission. She thinks Marlow will be part of some sort of quest that will not only make money but civilize the savage as well. We think about the irony of his aunt's ideas as Marlow continues his journey. Yes, there is money to be made but only at the expense of the natives. THe savagery is really found in the whites, in their own heart of darkness. Initially Kurtz had a reputation of accomplishing what his Aunt actually thought, the realities became quite different.