Things Fall Apart And Heart Of Darkness Essay
The ambition that is shown in men throughout their will to complete a task important to them, can have a major impact on the overall outcome. But, how much power and ambition can lead to a totally opposite outcome than what was initially wanted? In both Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart and Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness, the characters abuse their power due to the large amount of ambition the Ibo culture and Kurtz have. The Ibo culture has worked hard to establish their own colony and gained power from their success, in Things Fall Apart. Meanwhile in Heart of Darkness, a company has hired Kurtz to set out on an expedition to find new land for their country. In both Things Fall Apart and Heart of Darkness the Ibo culture and Kurtz compare and contrast in many different way all revolving around the major themes of ambition in each novel. The Ibo culture has found land to start their colony and this
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Kurtz, a native american, in the Heart of Darkness is portrayed as a demigod to his culture. His ambition allows him to work to achieve his goals and in this aspect, Okonkwo and Kurtz can compare. Unlike the pilgrims in Heart of Darkness, Mr. Kurtz works for his recognition that he receives from the native americans. Mr. Kurtz is raiding the Africans land for ivory. Ivory means a lot to Kurtz because it represents his rise of power. He has more power than any of the other managers and this is why all the native americans look up to him as their God. While Kurtz was only trying to get ivory for his people, he became too ambitious and power filled, leading to the destruction of African villages. ‘“He informed me, lowering his voice, that it was Kurtz who had ordered the attack on the steamer”’ (Conrad 58). Kurtz had not only been raiding villages but now his ambition had led him to attack any type of property or land to obtain more ivory. In both novels, there is an abuse of power and each character's ambition leads them to become selfish and humiliate
Kurtz, a native american, in the Heart of Darkness is portrayed as a demigod to his culture. His ambition allows him to work to achieve his goals and in this aspect, Okonkwo and Kurtz can compare. Unlike the pilgrims in Heart of Darkness, Mr. Kurtz works for his recognition that he receives from the native americans. Mr. Kurtz is raiding the Africans land for ivory. Ivory means a lot to Kurtz because it represents his rise of power. He has more power than any of the other managers and this is why all the native americans look up to him as their God. While Kurtz was only trying to get ivory for his people, he became too ambitious and power filled, leading to the destruction of African villages. ‘“He informed me, lowering his voice, that it was Kurtz who had ordered the attack on the steamer”’ (Conrad 58). Kurtz had not only been raiding villages but now his ambition had led him to attack any type of property or land to obtain more ivory. In both novels, there is an abuse of power and each character's ambition leads them to become selfish and humiliate