Psychoanalytic Perspective Of Kurtz s Heart Of Darkness

Hari Krishnan - Period 4 Post AP Literary Theory - Dr. Parchesky September 29th, 2017 Psychoanalytic perspective of Kurtz in Heart of Darkness The novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad reveals the uncanny similarities between the Europeans and the natives as well as demonstrates why imperialism is not â€Å"civilizing† the natives. Although Conrad often dehumanizes the natives, he still demonstrates that Europeans still are savage in some ways. Kurtz is an example of the savagery still remnant in European culture buried deep within us. Kurtz’s journey in the Congo can be seen as his pure primal expression of his id without restraint from his ego and superego. Kurtz’s transformation from a pillar of European ideals and civility to a greedy†¦show more content†¦His descent was mainly caused by the dehumanizing aspect of the Congo which the doctor implies by taking â€Å"initial measurements†. His separation from civilization and the station allow for him to forgo the superego and ego because they are not necessary in the Congo where only his primal drives are necessary for survival shown by the natives. The primal and degrading aura of the Congo can be seen when Marlow says â€Å"It was unearthly, and the men were—No, they were not inhuman.† (44). This shows that the aura of the Congo is foreign to the Europeans and environmental factors affect their ability to suppress their id like it is more difficult when alone and away from civilization. The return of Kurtz on Marlow’s boat leads to the return of his ego and superego because he is with Europeans again which shows what happens after his morality returns. Kurtz is described to be feel very guilty about his actions, and he says things like â€Å" I am waiting to die† which shows his feelings of utter shame of his actions after he represses his id even further. This culminates into his final words â€Å"the horror, the horror† which shows the extreme guilt and shame towards his actions to the natives and his beliefs of imperialism. This also shows how different one person can be when he lets his id run rampant and when he controls it. Kurtz could be civilized European who embodies the initiative of â€Å"civilizing† the natives, while he could alsoShow MoreRelated Achebe’s Inability to Understand Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Essay3028 Words   |  13 PagesAchebe’s Inability to Understand Conrad’s Heart of Darkness A fierce Achebe radically condemns Conrad as a thoroughgoing racist in his article, arguing that Heart of Darkness is not a piece of great literature, but an offensive and deplorable book (Achebe 1791). He structures his argument around a few central ideas, such as the grotesque perception of the Africans by the protagonist, the antinomy between the Thames and Congo River, the lack of historical fact, and the parallel between theRead MoreANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 Pages for example, in most detective fiction. Internal conflict, on the other hand, is confined to the protagonist. In this case, the opposition is between two or more elements within the protagonist’s own character, as in Joseph Conrad’s â€Å"Heart of Darkness†, when Kurtz struggles (and fails) to subdue the savage instincts concealed beneath his civilized English veneer. Most plots, it should be noted, contain more than one conflict. In some cases, however, these multiple conflicts are presented in a way