Section 4 begins when the steamboat arrives at the Inner Station and Marlow meets a man whom he calls a harlequin. Throughout the section we learn the past of the harlequin and more importantly that the harlequin is Kurtz’s right hand man. Kurtz keeps the harlequin around so he has someone that will listen to him, but Kurtz mostly wanders among the Africans. It is also now known that the Africans attacked the steamboat because they don’t want to leave Kurtz – they adore him. Kurtz is obsessive with ivory and has savage qualities shown by conducting raids on other stations and villages. Another important part in this section is the stakes planted around the station. These stakes are the home of the skulls of dead Africans who were considered “rebels”. After this, Marlow finally hears Kurtz as he is brought up to the station in a stretcher – he is severely ill. The section ends when Marlow sees a woman to which the harlequin comments on how he wishes to shoot her for maybe being Kurtz’s lover.
After reading this section, two paradigms are very prominent: power and community. I believe this section finally proves that there is a strong sense of power in this novel because Kurtz is the leader of a barbarian African tribe. From a plot perspective, power found in Kurtz’s ability to raid and obtained ivory successfully. Having said this, Kurtz inflicts fear upon others that relates to his success; there is evidence of this when the Kurtz threatens the harlequin to give over his ivory. The harlequin gives over his ivory not only because he has a gun on him, but also because he sees the power in Kurtz and wishes to serve him. From a personality perspective, power can be defined as mankind’s savagery. Kurtz’s becomes obsessed with ivory and his willpower to obtain all the ivory he can, fuels him into his position of power because nothing will stand in his way of total domination.
One could argue that Kurtz and his tribe of Africans are the symbol of power; however, without Kurtz the tribe could be helpless and have to motivation to become powerful. Therefore, Kurtz is the only true powerful character in this story. There is evidence of the manager obtaining power; however, his status quickly vanishes when Kurtz and the manager argue and the manager loses. Readers have yet to learn if Kurtz loses his power. In my opinion, I believe Kurtz’s journey of barbarism will end his power surge because in reality, when mankind is greedy for power, his success does not continue. An example of this in more recent history would be Adolf Hitler’s thirst for domination. Hitler wanted to conquer Europe to achieve superior dominance. A simple and surface way of looking at the theme of power is that Kurtz wants to obtain all the ivory he can because ivory is valued from trading. Looking at Kurtz’s actions with deeper meaning, Kurtz wants total dominance of Africa and ivory can help him dominant economically, but ivory can be the symbol for dominance.
Section 5 will be the defining point of what happens to these characters and where power is gained, lost, or continuous.
A community – by definition – is a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. The prominent community in this story is Kurtz’s tribe of barbarian African slaves. This band of barbarians idolized the white man – Kurtz – and was devoted to him because he has power. Kurtz used his superiority to foster a culture that is indefinitely loyal and adoring of him. This community can be deemed as a dictatorship because Kurtz is the tyrant of the barbarians – they look to him for guidance and will commit whatever act he tells them. This tribe has fallen into savagery, but cannot be uprooted because their savagery has become the norm. Kurtz will execute men who do not follow orders and will kill anyone who stand in his way from ultimate power.
This totalitarian community is only alive through the power of Kurtz. This tribe was created beneath Kurtz because being by himself drove him to madness. When an individual is lost and alone, all the barriers around the individual become dormant and the mental state of mankind tends to turn towards savagery and barbarism.
After reading this section, two paradigms are very prominent: power and community. I believe this section finally proves that there is a strong sense of power in this novel because Kurtz is the leader of a barbarian African tribe. From a plot perspective, power found in Kurtz’s ability to raid and obtained ivory successfully. Having said this, Kurtz inflicts fear upon others that relates to his success; there is evidence of this when the Kurtz threatens the harlequin to give over his ivory. The harlequin gives over his ivory not only because he has a gun on him, but also because he sees the power in Kurtz and wishes to serve him. From a personality perspective, power can be defined as mankind’s savagery. Kurtz’s becomes obsessed with ivory and his willpower to obtain all the ivory he can, fuels him into his position of power because nothing will stand in his way of total domination.
One could argue that Kurtz and his tribe of Africans are the symbol of power; however, without Kurtz the tribe could be helpless and have to motivation to become powerful. Therefore, Kurtz is the only true powerful character in this story. There is evidence of the manager obtaining power; however, his status quickly vanishes when Kurtz and the manager argue and the manager loses. Readers have yet to learn if Kurtz loses his power. In my opinion, I believe Kurtz’s journey of barbarism will end his power surge because in reality, when mankind is greedy for power, his success does not continue. An example of this in more recent history would be Adolf Hitler’s thirst for domination. Hitler wanted to conquer Europe to achieve superior dominance. A simple and surface way of looking at the theme of power is that Kurtz wants to obtain all the ivory he can because ivory is valued from trading. Looking at Kurtz’s actions with deeper meaning, Kurtz wants total dominance of Africa and ivory can help him dominant economically, but ivory can be the symbol for dominance.
Section 5 will be the defining point of what happens to these characters and where power is gained, lost, or continuous.
A community – by definition – is a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. The prominent community in this story is Kurtz’s tribe of barbarian African slaves. This band of barbarians idolized the white man – Kurtz – and was devoted to him because he has power. Kurtz used his superiority to foster a culture that is indefinitely loyal and adoring of him. This community can be deemed as a dictatorship because Kurtz is the tyrant of the barbarians – they look to him for guidance and will commit whatever act he tells them. This tribe has fallen into savagery, but cannot be uprooted because their savagery has become the norm. Kurtz will execute men who do not follow orders and will kill anyone who stand in his way from ultimate power.
This totalitarian community is only alive through the power of Kurtz. This tribe was created beneath Kurtz because being by himself drove him to madness. When an individual is lost and alone, all the barriers around the individual become dormant and the mental state of mankind tends to turn towards savagery and barbarism.