HOD Blog #3 (Reading #4)

There is a clear complex connection between Marlow and Kurtz throughout the development of the story which is shown in the narration as well as the descriptions of the setting at each given moment. As Marlow and the Company make their way down the river and get closer and closer to their destination, the center of Africa, their surroundings become more perilous and uncivilized: "'The current was more rapid now, the steamer seemed at her last gasp [...] Sometimes I would pick out a tree a little way ahead to measure our progress towards Kurtz by, but I lost it invariably before we got abreast. To keep the eyes so long on one thing was too much for human patience'" (Conrad 112). The closer they get to Kurtz, the more anxious and curious they become, and the stronger the current gets. The description of the current getting stronger shows the chaos and cultural turmoil that is to be found at the center. Another significant aspect is the idea of it being impossible to fix one's eyes on a single object when there are so many things around to observe and acknowledge. The idea of curiosity and enlightenment is what keeps Marlow connected to Kurtz throughout the journey.