Lies in the Heart of Darkness After declaring his passionate hatred of lying, it is strange to see the complete reversal of Marlow's character by the end of the book. Then perhaps it is not a change but simply an unexpected extension of his character that gives a different dimension to his personality. His statement "You know that I hate and loathe and can't stand a lie... it upsets me. It makes me miserable and sick, as biting into something rotten would" (Longman 2210) provides what can rightly be considered a very simple and clear vision of man's moral vision and character traits. Yet, at the end of the book, one can get the sense that he has not only betrayed their trust, but also himself and all the values ​​he seemed to embody throughout the story. vehement position on the issue of lying. When he went to talk to her I fully expected him to be completely honest and tell her the truth. My logic was that if she knew what Kurtz was like in reality, her suffering would be eased and she would be able to gain an honest, semi-objective view of the man she loved. This shows my modern thinking! It soon became clear that she would not accept any version of the truth, and I found myself hoping that Marlow would lie to her to spare him the torture of knowing the truth. His constant interruption of Marlow's dialogue to insert beautiful, luminous details about the man was a complete revelation of what he could feel and survive. Marlow says: "It was impossible not to" "I love him" he concluded enthusiastically..."How true! How true!" (Longmann 2244). Once Marlow decides to soften the truth, he begins to utter non-committal sentences towards Kurtz which terminates the Steward; “His words will remain,” I said. “And his example,” she whispered to herself. "Men admire him: his goodness shone in every act. His example" (Longman 2245). I think Marlow starts to realize that he can't be honest with her when they start talking about Kurtz's death. He says, “My anger subsided before a feeling of infinite pity” (Longman 2245). She was a woman, she was weak, she was alone, and every masculine tendency in Marlow rebelled and prevented him from crushing what was left of her fragile spirit..