Comparing and Contrasting Marlow/Willard and Kurtz

Comparing and Contrasting Marlow/Willard and Kurtz Inherent inside every human soul is a savage evil side that remains repressed by society. History is loaded with examples of atrocities that have occurred when one culture comes into contact with another. Whenever fundamentally different cultures meet, there is often a fear of contamination and loss of self that leads one to discover more about one s true self, often causing perceived madness. Heart of Darkness, a novel written by Joseph Conrad in 1899, and Apocalypse Now, a movie directed by Francis Ford Coppola, are two works that parallel one another, but at the same time, both reflect their own era in time and their creator s own personal feelings and prejudices. In Joseph Conrad†¦show more content†¦Kurtz was essentially sent up in Cambodia to inoculate the children, and was horrified to find out that the Vietcong cut off all the inoculated arms. At this point, Kurtz comes to face his own darkness. The evil side and the madness in both Conrad s Kurtz and Coppola s Kurtz were brought out by the fear of new cultures different from their own and their inability to deal with this fear. The disconnection between the opening words of Kurtz s report By the simple exercise of our will, we can exert a power for good practically unbounded and the note on the last page, Exterminate all the brutes! illustrates the progressive externalization of Kurtz s fear of contamination; the personal fear of loss of self which colonialist whites saw in the uncivilized, seemingly regressive lifestyle of the natives. Gradually, the duplicity of man and reality merged for the both Conrad s Kurtz and Coppola s Kurtz, one in the Congo, and one in Vietnam. The well-defined cultural values had specific segregated roles that could not be sustained in the Congo or in Vietnam. On the occasion that some member of one culture does come into contact with another, simpler culture, a self-discovery happens. Both cultures realize that de ep down inside, all humans are essentially the same. We all possess a good and an evil side. This discovery often causes madness as this evil side is allowed out. Only those who have completed the journey into self can understand theShow MoreRelatedParallels Between Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now1871 Words   |  8 PagesVarious parallels can be drawn when comparing and contrasting Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness and Frank Coppolas Apocalypse Now, while taking into consideration Heart of Darkness is a novella and Apocalypse Now is a film. These differences and similarities can be seen in themes, characters, events and other small snippets of information including anything from quoted lines to strange actions of the main characters. Both pieces follow the same story line but they are presented in differentRead MoreEssay on heart of darkness1844 Words   |  8 Pages Various parallels can be drawn when comparing and contrasting Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness and Frank Copp olas quot;Apocalypse Nowquot;, while taking into consideration Heart of Darkness is a novella and quot;Apocalypse Nowquot; is a film. These differences and similarities can be seen in themes, characters, events and other small snippets of information including anything from quoted lines to strange actions of the main characters. Both pieces follow the same story line but they are presentedRead MoreComparative Essay1096 Words   |  5 Pagesgenius writer, took his time to show this with his masterpiece â€Å"Heart of Darkness† that was later on an amazing inspiration for the director Francis Ford Coppola, that based his film on Conrad’s novel. Different parallels can be drawn when comparing and contrasting these two works. These differences and similarities can be seen in themes, characters, events and other small snippets of information including anything from quoted lines to strange actions of the main characters. To start with, is importantRead MoreAnalysis Of Joseph Conrad s Heart Of Darkness1164 Words   |  5 Pagesalso portrays through the Vietnam War, the contrasting misguided crusades of enlightenment that the supreme race forces upon savages. The reversed meanings amongst the colors and entangled description in Heart of Darkness shows how backwards civilization is through the need to enlighten or civilize the natives is flamboyantly flaunted in both the movie and book. Ultimately, both portray an allusion to Dante’s inferno and through comparing and contrasting the symbolisms and imagery effectively personify