Ignorance In Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness

Ignorance is something displayed by multiple characters throughout Heart of Darkness, most prominently though the European characters who have ventured to the Congo. These European character being Kurtz, The Russian and Marrow. The three men however display their ignorance in vastly different ways. Kurtz with his cruel behavior towards the natives of the Congo, the Russian in his enabling Kurtz’s behavior and Marrow in not passing on his enlightenment of the errors of European imperialism. Kurtz spent the last years of his life among the natives of the Congo, he going to Africa with the intent to enlighten the natives. In his time there, he becomes a self proclaimed god, holding the power over the people of the Congo and imposing his
He being someone who would be on equal ground with Kurtz had Heart of Darkness taken place anywhere other than the Congo in a time of British Imperialism. The stories setting along with Kurtz’s ignorance lead to the Russian being treated harshly by the self-proclaimed god. However, blame is not on Kurtz and the environment alone, the Russian bringing on the harsh treatment with his idolization of Kurtz. The Russian man excusing Kurtz’s behavior towards the natives and even himself, “He declared he would shoot me unless I gave him the ivory and then cleared out of the country” (56 Conrad). Despite the threat of being killed the Russian continues to stay by his side, his infatuation with Kurtz blinds him and keeps him ignorant. This blindness does not allow him to pass any sort of judgment onto Kurtz because, “You can’t judge Mr.Kurtz as you would an ordinary man” (56 Conrad). The Russian, much like Kurtz, is able to see the error in what Kurtz had done to the people of the Congo. He eventually comes to the conclusion that Kurtz has been corrupted, but not by his own doing, the Russian believing that Kurtz , “had been corrupted by the very natives he had come to enlighten” (Wayne). The Russian despite having been from a society similar to Kurtz and Marlow becomes ignorant once entering the Congo, much like Kurtz had. Marlow however, unlike the other two men was ignorant before going into the Congo, his being there is
He reaching a higher level of enlightenment when in the Congo, rather than spiraling into ignorance as many others had. It is Marlow’s returning to Europe, not his time in the Congo, that reveal his true ignorance. Upon Marlow's return to Europe he takes note of just how ignorant the people there are, he believing that they know nothing past their, “insignificant and silly dreams” (Conrad 70). He believing that he is no longer like them since being in the Congo and seeing just what it had become at the hands of European Imperialism. Though Marlow is no different than those he is looking down upon, his ignorance coming from keeping others ignorant. Marlow having, “no particular desire to enlighten them” (Conrad 71), allows the Europeans to continue on in their ignorance. He having a chance to redeem himself when meeting Kurtz’s fiancee, but rather than do this Marlow lies to her about Kurtz’s last words, “the last word he pronounced was--your name” (Conrad 77). Marlow’s lying while saving Kurtz’s fiancee some heart ache, also kept her from knowing Kurtz’s true. She being left with only a fabricated lie of the sort of man Kurtz’s was before his death, all because Marlow's being unable to tell her the