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Flashbacks
Part 1
Explanation and Analysis—Marlow and Kurtz:
The novella’s protagonist, Charles Marlow, and the man he’s searching for, the Inner Station chief Mr. Kurtz, function as character foils for each other. But the meaning of their similarities and differences changes several times throughout the book. Ultimately, because Marlow sees Kurtz’s success as a reflection of his own aspirations, his search for Kurtz comes to represent his search for purpose in his own life, as well as his quest to find the redeeming idea behind European colonialism in Africa. After other colonial officials tell Marlow about Kurtz, Marlow starts to imagine Kurtz as his ideal role model: a noble, selfless crusader who decides to conquer Africa out of principle rather than his desire for profit. Marlow explains this theory in Part 1 at the very beginning of his story, when he says that the only thing that can justify conquest is the benevolent ideas behind it:
“What redeems [conquest] is the idea only. An idea at the back of it; not a sentimental pretence but an idea; and an unselfish belief in the idea—something you can set up, and bow down before, and offer a sacrifice to....”
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Explanation and Analysis—Company Men and Trader:
The Company men and Russian Trader serve as character foils for one another. During his journey up the Congo River, Marlow meets a series of corrupt Company administrators, like the Brickmaker who never makes bricks, the Accountant who complains about having to record enslaved Africans’ deaths, and the General Manager who only got his job because he’s resistant to tropical diseases. These men all represent the greed and thoughtlessness that Conrad sees at the heart of European colonialism. Yet Marlow also meets the Russian Trader, a remarkable man who displays neither of these traits. The contrast between the Company men and Russian Trader thus allows Conrad to distinguish the kind of purposeful, dignified exploration that he thought could genuinely improve the world from the profit-seeking that he thought was ruining it.
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Part 3
Explanation and Analysis—Marlow and Kurtz:
The novella’s protagonist, Charles Marlow, and the man he’s searching for, the Inner Station chief Mr. Kurtz, function as character foils for each other. But the meaning of their similarities and differences changes several times throughout the book. Ultimately, because Marlow sees Kurtz’s success as a reflection of his own aspirations, his search for Kurtz comes to represent his search for purpose in his own life, as well as his quest to find the redeeming idea behind European colonialism in Africa. After other colonial officials tell Marlow about Kurtz, Marlow starts to imagine Kurtz as his ideal role model: a noble, selfless crusader who decides to conquer Africa out of principle rather than his desire for profit. Marlow explains this theory in Part 1 at the very beginning of his story, when he says that the only thing that can justify conquest is the benevolent ideas behind it:
Unlock with LitCharts A+“What redeems [conquest] is the idea only. An idea at the back of it; not a sentimental pretence but an idea; and an unselfish belief in the idea—something you can set up, and bow down before, and offer a sacrifice to....”
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Company Men and Trader:
The Company men and Russian Trader serve as character foils for one another. During his journey up the Congo River, Marlow meets a series of corrupt Company administrators, like the Brickmaker who never makes bricks, the Accountant who complains about having to record enslaved Africans’ deaths, and the General Manager who only got his job because he’s resistant to tropical diseases. These men all represent the greed and thoughtlessness that Conrad sees at the heart of European colonialism. Yet Marlow also meets the Russian Trader, a remarkable man who displays neither of these traits. The contrast between the Company men and Russian Trader thus allows Conrad to distinguish the kind of purposeful, dignified exploration that he thought could genuinely improve the world from the profit-seeking that he thought was ruining it.
Unlock with LitCharts A+
Related Themes:
