Arts , Humanities & Social Science

Abstract

This essay diverges from the majority of articles on Heart of Darkness in some important ways. First, Mordechai Gordon offers a literal interpretation of Conrad’s novella, one that maintains fidelity to the text itself rather than to his own feelings about the merits or deficiencies of this work.  More importantly, the aim in this essay is not to analyze Conrad’s intentions in Heart of Darkness since the author’s true intentions are often hidden from the reader. Instead, Gordon’s goal is to explore the fascination that readers of Heart of Darkness seem to have with the literary character of Kurtz. In effect, this essay attempts to provide an answer to a simple question: what makes Kurtz so intriguing to readers of Conrad’s novella? Gordon argues that Kurtz possesses at least four characteristics that help make him so attractive to his readers: eloquent, charismatic, enigmatic, and hollow at the core.