In Joseph Conrad's classic short story, Heart of Darkness, Kurtz's identity is unknown for most of the story. For most of the story, Marlow's image of Kurtz is based solely on the hearsay of other Europeans. He is a seemingly extraordinary man who wants to civilize the natives of the area. Once he is finally introduced to Kurtz, Marlow is surprised by his actions. Marlow finds him ill, perhaps mad, and not at all what he expected. The accounts later given by those who knew Kurtz all seem to paint a different picture of him, unknown to Marlow. This calls into question Kurtz's real identity. The accounts given by those who knew him may be correct or simply constructed by their delusional minds. Alternatively, perhaps the “darkness” of the Congo changed the very essence of Kurtz while he worked there. There must be a reason for the discrepancies between the legend of Kurtz and the real man. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayKurtz has undoubtedly influenced different people in different ways. The Russian trader Marlow meets holds Kurtz in high regard. He says that Kurtz's grandiose ideas "broadened his mind" (Conrad p. 48). When Kurtz later confides in Marlow, his plans to become famous and rich seem immature and ridiculous. This may be due to differences in the perception of the trader and Marlow. What one man thinks is brilliant, another might think is ridiculous. Conrad may be commenting on human perceptions here. There are other accounts of Kurtz that radically go against the image readers are shown. Conrad reveals little about Kurtz's character through the action of the book. Instead, his role is a series of images constructed by others. Kurtz's cousin tells Marlow that Kurtz was a great musician and humanitarian and concludes that he was simply an all-round genius. The Belgian journalist offers another image of Kurtz. To him Kurtz was a brilliant politician and leader of men. Everyone seems to have taken something different from Kurtz and he influenced their lives differently. The expected of Kurtz saw him as a loving, devoted, humanitarian and complete guru. She evidently had no idea that he was having an affair with a native African woman. The Inspired's perception of Kurtz is imperfect, but is it her fault, or did Kurtz project onto her the image of himself he wanted her to see? Marlow even supports the Aspirant's fallacious memory of Kurtz by telling her that his dying words were his name. It is unclear why Marlow did this, but perhaps he did it to protect Kurtz's reputation and memory. In any case, it seems that all these people have different memories of Kurtz. Is this due to differences in perception or Kurtz was a master at giving people what they wanted or needed to see. It's interesting that everyone thought they knew Kurtz so well. His intended exclaimed, “I knew him better” (Conrad p. 73). It seems like maybe none of them really knew him. It has influenced all different people because it represents for each individual what they would like to see in themselves. It is also possible that Kurtz changed while working in the Congo. The very nature of the jungle must have played a role in changing Kurtz's mentality. Marlow seemed to lose sensation while at the river. There is no indication that Marlow was an insensitive man, but rather a curious and thoughtful one. The reason he wanted to go to Congo was to explore the white areas of the map of Africa. It is surprising, then, that when his helmsman is killed by some natives, he simplyreject. He immediately changes his socks and shoes and instead of lamenting the death, he is upset over losing a new pair of shoes. Perhaps the darkness of the jungle has a similar effect on all people. Kurtz's long stay in the jungle was more than enough to make him lose the senses he may have once had. Freud's analysis of the human psyche attempts to explain Kurtz's mentality. Freud says that the id is the part of the unconscious that human beings are born with; it serves to control the desires we are born with. The “Ego” develops from the “Id” to try to rationalize these innate desires. The “Superego,” Freud explains, controls the “Ego” and develops through external controls such as social conscience. Therefore, the “Superego” of people growing up in different societies would not be the same due to different external forces shaping their “Superego”. This should explain the great differences between the natives of the Congo and the Europeans who are trying to “civilize” them. Freud tends to believe that the “Superego” is formed in adulthood and cannot be changed. Freud could be wrong. Kurtz apparently went mad in the "darkness" of Africa. He posts the rebels' heads on spikes outside his office and somehow, it is not specified how, has convinced the native tribes to worship him as if he were a god. This implies that he neither lives up to European standards nor abides by his European-bred "superego". Kurtz's European "superego", however, would not have served him well in the jungle. He probably lost his previous "Super Ego" and adapted to the new environment. Perhaps Kurtz has even completely overcome his "Superego". Freud may or may not agree that this is possible. The darkness in Heart of Darkness could be the "id" without the "superego" to control it, thus allowing all innate, animalistic desires to emerge. (Freud pp. 12-17) It is difficult to distinguish how Kurtz, who seems so isolated and isolated from the rest of society, managed to connect with so many people. Perhaps the reason is due to the fact that he hasn't really made himself known to anyone. He let people see what they wanted. Those people then used what they knew about Kurtz for their own use and developed an image of him that may or may not be accurate. To the Fated One, Kurtz was an object of affection and someone who cared for her. For the Russian merchant it was an inspiration. Marlow has somehow found his purpose through his brief relationship with Kurtz. He was intrigued by what he heard about Kurtz and this helped him overcome the oppression of the Congo. Kurtz was an alternative to the emptiness and laziness of the other Europeans Marlow encountered. Kurtz finished his job. He found more ivory than all the other managers combined. He was also open about his methods: he took ivory from others by force. He used repression and extermination to get what he wanted and had no qualms about admitting it. Kurtz was open about his tactics, but this was what he needed the natives of the area to see for them to fear him. Kurtz didn't get the ivory by being nice to people. This is just another example of how Kurtz redefines himself to fit an image that is useful to him or others. Kurtz played a significant role in Marlow's life despite barely knowing him. Marlow reflects on the idea of ​​having no role in the world. After Kurtz's death, he is given the role of carrying forward his ideas and legacy. However, Marlow realizes that if he died, he would have nothing to say. Kurtz, however, «had something to say. He said so” (Conrad p. 70). In carrying on Kurtz's legacy, however, Marlow has found purpose. Its purpose is to tell Kurtz's story to those who know it.