What Is Kurtz A Cultural Collision

When the Europeans first attempted to conquer all of Africa, they ran into many natives. These natives were treated very poorly. This is a huge cultural collision in Heart of Darkness. This collision greatly affects many of the characters within the book. Kurtz is one of the main characters who is affected. The collision causes him to change from an honest man to one who has succumbed to the darkness in his heart. Every man has a “darkness” in his heart that comes out in challenging situations. This darkness is what changes Kurtz. The cultural collision of the Europeans and natives has caused Kurtz to drastically change throughout the novel.
To understand how Kurtz has changed throughout the novel, one should first understand the cultural collision itself. The cultural collision comes mostly from the Europeans
The natives were not seen as people but as objects. The Europeans enslaved the natives and used them as a way to get ivory. Indirectly, the natives were just seen as a means to get money. As Marlow travels from the outer station to the inner station, he encounters scenes of torture and cruelty. The natives are kept at a near slave state. This cultural collision deeply affects Kurtz. In the beginning, Kurtz is described as an honest, noble man who is full of greatness and promise. He initial reasons to journey to Africa included the pure intention of helping the natives and the desire to make a bit of money. He soon experiences the harsh treatment the natives experience from their European oppressors. This causes a change in Kurtz’s moral thoughts, and he is introduced, for the first time, to the darkness in his heart. With his