Worksheet: #1

The symbol of Kurtz in "The Heart of Darkness" is an important one. On the literal level he is seen as powerful, all-knowing, and persuasive. The men Marlow encounters paint Kurtz to be the wisest man they have ever met. However as the novel and Kurtz's story unfold, Kurtz's weakness begin to surface. The reader truly understands that Kurtz has become obsessed with the lifestyle in the Congo and has allowed for it to destroy him. Kurtz's id has surfaced in the jungle and;therefore, the Congo killed Kurtz.