Kurtz's Power in Heart of Darkness Power has been defined as the psychological relationships between one another to get him to do what you want him to do. We are exposed to forms of power from birth. Our parents have the power over us to behave as they see fit. In school, teachers use their power to help us learn. When we enter the workforce, our boss's power motivates us to perform, and we desire to climb the corporate ladder so that we too can one day intimidate someone with power. In Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness Kurtz had an inexplicable power over the jungle and its people. Kurtz is one of many men sent into the jungle to rape the land and its people of its natural resources. Many men have traveled into the jungle, also called the heart of darkness, never to return. Kurtz goes into the jungle and becomes obsessed with people and the land. While Kurtz has an obsession with ivory, that's not the only reason he overstayed his welcome in the jungle. Power is what kept Kurtz in the jungle for such a long period of time. Determined not to become another causality, he becomes an ally of the natives out of fear. Kurtz is a brilliant man who did not have to adapt to his environment but allowed himself to be adapted by it. At the top of a hill his hut is surrounded by the heads of men who have betrayed him in some way, this serves as a reminder to anyone thinking of going against his wishes. When Marlow finally reaches Kurtz his health is deteriorating. Even that same jungle he loved, embraced, and consumed with every ounce of his flesh had taken its toll on him. Marlow finally meets the man whose name has haunted him throughout his journey up the river. Could this fragile human be the ever-so-powerful Kurtz? The man who traveled into uncharted territory and returned with scores of ivory and the respect of the native tribe. Yes, this was the very man and although he is weak and on the way to death, his power still exudes from him. This is where the definition of power comes in, the "psychological relationship", see also if his body was decaying his mind. it was still sharp.