“The horror! The horror!” Kurtz’s last uttering words before he perished. Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, is a novella about a journey on the Congo River into the heart of Africa that Charles Marlow takes in order to rescue the infamous ivory trader, Mr. Kurtz. Throughout Marlow’s voyage, he becomes fixated on the notion of Kurtz’s voice. Marlow’s yearning to hear Kurtz’s voice plays a major role in developing Kurtz’s character. To Marlow, Kurtz and his voice was an “inestimable privilege [to listen to]” since Kurtz was the romanticized epitome of civility, authority, and power (Conrad 59). This build-up of Kurtz’s persona only to end with his last words being, “The horror! The horror!” raises an important question of why: Why is Kurtz’s so traumatized by his glory as his life flashes before his eyes? With Kurtz’s reputation and history, his dying words, “The horror! The horror!,” symbolizes Europe’s failure to imperialize the African Congo and the effect it had on Kurtz.
Kurtz’s final words are a symbol of not only what he has become but what the Europeans have done. Imperialism is a common theme throughout the novel as Marlow’s job entails rescuing Kurtz, an ivory trader, in the Congo, who largely supplies Europe with its ivory needs. Europe’s motives for exploiting Africa was not only to civilize its natives but also attain its ivory. Due to this treasure, ivory soon became an evident symbol of greed and obsession for the Europeans. When Marlow first comes across the central station he states that “The word ‘ivory’ rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed. You would think they were praying to it,” (28). This quote helps illuminate the European’s pursuit to attain ivory as they understood the benefits that came with it; wealth and glory since, at the time, ivory trading was a booming business as ivory was used in manufacturing goods. Kurtz was also driven by this obsession for ivory to the point where it caused him to go insane. This insanity can be seen when the Russian reminisces to Marlow about Kurtz as he says, “[Kurtz] declared he would shoot me unless I gave him the ivory… I gave him the ivory. What did I care!” (Conrad 70). This account exposes Kurtz’s savage nature as he is slowly being defeated by his obsession and desire to become the ultimate ivory trader. With Kurtz success in the ivory business, he became a major influence among the colonist as they claimed he had “enlarged [their] mind” with the benefits of the ivory trade. Therefore, Kurtz’s depleting sanity also diminishes Europe’s attempts to imperialize Africa because it demoralizes the colonizers and has them assimilate to the natives’ savage ways which contradicts one of their motives which was to “[wean] those ignorant millions, [the natives], from their horrid ways,” (14).
Imperialism, however daunting the word may sound, was viewed as a “privilege, responsibility, and burden [that] Europe [endured] to spread the ‘light’ of civilization to the dark corners of the globe,” (Miller). Marlow, as well as most participating Europeans, often referred to imperialism as the “noble cause,” that Europeans were doing in favor to the “savages” of Africa. Once Kurtz perishes, Marlow “[blows] the candle out and [leaves] the cabin,” (Conrad 87). Marlow’s action of blowing out the light is significant as it helps illustrate the contrast that the novella presents between light and dark. Light, in this case, is associated with the knowledge and civility that while Europe brings to the darkness that makes Africa ambiguous and savage. Thus, with Kurtz’s death, the “light” that once brought enlightenment to the natives is gone and engulfed by the darkness of Africa. However, the irony of the Europeans thinking they are enlightening Africa is absurd as they slowly become mental as they travel up to the inner station. This insanity can once again be seen through Kurtz’s, as he has been isolated in the inner station for several years which prompted his madness, which counteracts Europe’s imperialist approach to Africa because they themselves are going rogue.
“The horror! The horror!” is a quote that also indicates Kurtz’s self-realization on the effect he had on Africa and its natives. Kurtz finally understands the horrible things that he has done to help Europe command Africa, which leads him to be disgusted by what he has become. In the Inner Station, Kurtz slowly loses self-control as he begins seeing himself as a God to the natives. While in the heart of the Congo, Kurtz managed to persuade a native tribe to help him with his ivory hunting by stealing from neighboring tribes which lead to the natives to “adore him,” (Conrad 69). The natives seemed to idolize Kurtz as a God-like creature as they have never witnessed such strength and determination with his want for ivory; Kurtz’s appearance to the natives was also described with “thunder and lightning” which alludes to Zeus as Kurtz had a familiar effect as the mythological God (Conrad 70). When Marlow first comes to the inner station, he is welcomed by Kurtz’s “ornamentation,” (Conrad 71). These rather innocent decorations from afar were “black, dried, sunken [heads] with closed eyelids” that were all but one facing towards Kurtz’s home (Conrad 71). From this event, we can easily note that these are not actions of a civilized man but rather of a savage. The “symbolic round knobs” as Marlow refers to them are ironic as they are a clear representation of Kurtz’s whereabouts. Since most of the heads were facing towards Kurtz’s house we can assume that these were sacrifices that the natives were willing to take as Kurtz brainwashed them into thinking that he was their leader. The adoration that the native tribes had towards Kurtz, illustrated the power and control that he had over them as “they [the natives] would not stir till Mr. Kurtz gave the word,” (Conrad 72). Unknowingly, events like these were quickly becoming the fault for Kurtz’s ultimate downfall as, “They [the heads] only showed that Mr. Kurtz lacked restraint in the gratification of his various lusts, that there was something wanting in him – some small matter which, when the pressing need arose, could not be found under his magnificent eloquence,” (Conrad 72). The horror of Kurtz’s lack of restraint to maintain civilized is what ended up haunting him at his deathbed. Restraint, or lack thereof, is a common factor to imperialism as it outlines the horrors that the Europeans caused in attempts to civilize Africa. That is why Kurtz’s lack of restraint contributed to not only his own downfall but the downfall of European imperialism in Africa as Europeans themselves lost their mind in the Congo and returned to Europe with a changed mentality. Marlow, one of the few who make it back home when returning from the Congo, had to learn how to be civil (“I had some difficulty in restraining myself… and I admit my behavior was inexcusable”) which ends up contradicting Europe’s imperialistic motives to civilize the uncivilized, thus creating a fault in their efforts to control Africa (Conrad 89).
In the end, Kurtz final words of, “The horror! The horror!” symbolized Europe’s failure to imperialize the African Congo and the effect it had on Kurtz. Imperialism is a common theme throughout the novella as the Europeans attempt to colonize Africa. One of Europe’s purpose for exploiting Africa was for its ivory. However, through imperialism, Europeans believe that they are doing what is right as they think they are enlightening the natives with knowledge and courteousness. Therefore, they think that they are bringing light to the “heart of darkness.” Additionally, through this quote, Kurtz is able to comprehend the repulsive things that he has done that have contributed to the imperialization of Africa.