Essay Kurtz as Satan - 1663 Words

There was a reason that European colonizers were nick-named the white devils. They slithered their way in like serpents and turned the known world of the natives into a world of chaos. Every white settler was a Satan in his own way. Mr. Kurtz, a leading character in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness is the prime example of the white devils in Africa, following the pattern set out by John Milton for a perfect Prince of Darkness in Paradise Lost in his portrayal of Satan to a point. Their characteristics and motivations are paralleled in almost every sense, differing only in the backdrop and in the ends that these characters meet. Once the similarities between Satan and Mr. Kurtz start, they never seem to end. Its as though Conrad†¦show more content†¦Him the Almighty Power Hurled headlong flaming from the ethereal sky with hideous ruin and combustion down To bottomless perdition, there to dwell In adamantine chains and penal fire, Who durst defy the Omnipotent to arms. Satan f alls into Hell, where he festers with his hate and fallen angels. Kurtz is Africas Satan, whos forbidden fruit is ivory, drawing him away from the rules of civilization and creating a monster that feeds on fulfilling that one job, no matter the consequences. Kurtz has no restrain in his actions, having been consumed by the chaotic darkness that surrounds him and that he becomes a reflection of. His fall from grace comes in the form of the manager and all others on the rescue expedition despising him. They realize his flawed methods and his lost mind and are disgusted by him. Kurtz falls away from the rules of civilization into the darkness of the jungle and all of its chaos. He presents himself as a god to the natives, who are awed by Kurtzs magnificence and become his devoted followers, his own fallen angels. There, in the deepest pits of the jungle, those demonic and primitive people and their god partake in hellish rituals and orgies, taking all of the ivory they want without hes itation, living as they please. This is especially shown when we hear from the harlequin that Kurtz threatened to shoot him for his ivory, because he could do so, and had a fancy for it, and there was nothing on earth to prevent himShow MoreRelatedCapturing the Reality of the Vietnam War in The Deer Hunter and Apocalypse Now1615 Words   |  7 Pagesbreaking point†. Kurtz shows that he has almost reached his breaking point by going to live in the jungle with the primitive tribes. From this and from a voice recording of Kurtz, we can see that he is living in insanity. Kurtz goes against the ‘rules’ and decides to separate himself from the Americans as if he is questioning their power because he has his own beliefs about the war. Just like Satan questioned God’s rule, Kurtz has questioned America’s. When Satan chose to challengeRead More Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Carl Jungs Principle of Opposites2119 Words   |  9 Pagesits inner workings. In Heart of Darkness, both Marlow and Kurtz are representations of strong reoccurring archetypes within human myth, religion, and folklore. They work together to epitomize one of Jung’s Cores of Personality: the Principle of Opposites. The Principle of Opposites states that both sides of opposite pairs—good and bad, light and dark, joy and despair, et cetera—are present to complete the other. 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Though â€Å"Dr. Jung’s discoveries were not knownRead More Colonization and Wealth in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness and Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart1627 Words   |  7 Pagesby using the term â€Å"light.† Supporting the Manichean allegorical view, the term â€Å"sons of darkness† implies that the majority of bl ack people where not Christians. Also, since a term in the Christian religion for Satan is â€Å"Prince of Darkness,† this statement also equates the Africans with Satan and thus, evil. From these ideas one sees that the colonists want the Africans to convert to their religion and value the spread of Christianity as wealth. It has been established how the Europeans in AfricaRead More The Impact Sociological Theories Have on Religion Essay2086 Words   |  9 Pageswith experience and age. Thinking back to the era of the Salem witch trials, the colonial Massachusetts â€Å"society† relied heavily on the Christianity religion. They used Christianity to govern the laws of their society. They strongly believed that Satan could bless certain people with a powerful ability to do harm unto others. If it were not for the group on young adolescent female behaving weirdly for that era in time, it is possible that the belief in the devil may not have cause hysteria on aRead MoreChristianity and Secular Humanism 3648 Words   |  15 Pagessupernatural.† — Webster’s Dictionary A world view is set of ideas and beliefs through which an individual interpret and interacts with the world. Secular means Secular humanists â€Å"wish to encourage wherever possible the growth of moral awareness.† (Paul Kurtz - A Secular Humanist Declaration). They believe in human values without religion or a God, and that human values should be committed to the well being of humans and should be based on ethical reasoning rather than supernatural sources. They believe