Mr. Kurtz as a Force for Evil Anonymous 12th Grade

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and Apocalypse Now exemplify the cruel and unforgiving nature of humankind through the actions of Mr. Kurtz. Before Kurtz is introduced in each story, the narrator creates an image of the man in his head that is very much contrary to reality, and each of the stories portray this awakening in their own unique way. In the settings, land is being infringed upon for a higher power’s selfish, greedy gain, and Kurtz has no moral compass to point him in a direction of compassion or pity for the people whose lives he has destroyed; however, Kurtz handles his power differently in each case. When Kurtz’s end is finally met, his final words tell the most about his character and reveal the truth of his mind.

Before the initial meeting in the novel, Marlow builds Kurtz up to be an indulgent, greedy character, who has no remorse for the land he is taking and the people he is killing; in fact, one of the only proofs Marlow has that Kurtz is even real is a document stating that Kurtz believes in “exterminat[ing] all the brutes” (Conrad, 83). However, Willard sees Kurtz simply as a target to complete his mission—even if he is infatuated with said target. Willard has no real preconceived notion of Kurtz, and...