Kurtz Imperialism

"You should have heard him say, 'My ivory.' Oh, yes, I heard him. 'My Intended, my ivory, my station, my river, my - ' everything belonged to him... - but that was a trifle. The thing was to know what he belonged to, how many powers of darkness claimed him for their own. That was the reflection that made you creepy all over. It was impossible it was not good for one either - trying to imagine. He had taken a high seat amongst the devils of the land - I mean literally." (60)

From Marlow, comes this glimpse of Kurtz, a glimpse of his negativity, his immoral side rather than the glorification we are used to seeing attributed to him by the other characters in the novella. Kurtz emulates the villain archetype to a tee; he begins to take a megalomaniacal
Marlow personifies Kurtz as one who is only interested in the tangible- something that he can keep and see, and have for himself. Whatever morals Kurtz had upon arriving to the Congo-if any at all, are destroyed by the taste of power, and that power being specifically imperialism- the idea that one is never satisfied with what they already have and . Kurtz’s ideas are Machiavellian in nature, seeing as he desires to control and exert brute force, implying fear in order to maintain obedience, and in Conrad’s eyes, this is the biggest sin. Kurtz has the ability to control and possess whatever he so desires because of his ability to charm, however he uses his power for evil rather than good, and this is what Marlow frowns upon. Since
They shroud their intentions with claims of philanthropy and civilizing the savages- that their work in done in pure goodness, but what their main concerns are in actuality are profit, and using any means or attain that. In the process of bestiality towards the natives, they in fact, reverse mentalities and become more like the savages they try to enlighten. Practically every man from Europe is personified as a villain archetype; no matter how noble their cause is, they all stray the path of enlightenment and instead turn to greed and immorality. The European men, as Marlow sees it, although he is one himself, are hypocritical in their word, lying in order to earn, and therefore exemplify Marlow’s hatred of violence, greed and desire, but they also exemplify the imperialism that Marlow seems to be appalled by most. Imperialism, the extending of rule over foreign countries is depicted satirically by Marlow as if to mock its very fundamentals. Inefficiency is also highlighted by Marlow. The men wish to earn, by means of cruelty because they detest the idea of pure, honest work, and do not even wish to, as Marlow says “lift a finger” to do so. The result is haphazard, where men not only laze on the backs of natives in order to fulfil their work,