What do you make of Marlow's decision to lie to Kurtz' "Intended" - do you agree with this decision or not? What does it reveal about Marlow's character? About the "Intended"? Do you see any of this relating back to Kurtz' painting that Marlow saw back before he met the man?
DON'T FORGET PERMISSION SLIPS TOMORROW!
I agree with Marlows decision to lie to Kurtz because of my own personal reasons. Kurtz' Intended seemed to truly love Kurtz as we can see she was still mourning his death as if he had died yesterday when he passed away a year ago. If I were in Marlows position I wouldn't have the heart to tell her that her lover had died a tragic death screaming "the horror, the horror!!" I think this reveals that Marlow is sympathetic to Kurtz Intended. The painting of blindfolded women who I perceived as justice in a way relates to Marlows lie because justice is not biased and it would have told Kurtz Intended the truth no matter how terrible the truth was.
ReplyDeleteI dont agree with his lie, but I do see your side of it and that makes a lot of sense he was doing it all to be sympathetic.
DeleteI don't agree with you concerning the lie either, but I like your painting concept. The blindfolded women was simply the justice that Marlow had conceived.
DeleteI like that you pointed out that she was still mourning a year later. I totally forgot about that detail! This shows (even more) why Marlow made a good decision in lying to Kurtz' intended because if she was still this bad a year after his death, imagine what she would be like when her perception of Kurtz as a good person died as well.
DeleteI agree with the lie. Isn't this the samething as why the Intended should/should not know about Kurtz's memory? Just let her have the happy moments with Kurtz. I understand the other perspective in how she may be able to move on, but it's just too much for a person to handle. Either way she'll get over him. haha
DeleteI agree with you on that it was a good thing for Marlow to lie because if the Intended is still mourning over Kurtz's loss, then clearly she still loves him, and she shouldn't have to bare the pain on knowing that Kurtz wasn't actually a good guy. Her memory of him shouldn't be shattered.
DeleteI agree with your decision and I also did not think about the painting in that way. Great insight.
DeleteIt's hard, but it's the wrong thing to do for the right reasons. I agree.
DeleteI understand why Marlow felt obligated to lie to Kurtz' fiance; however, I dont agree with it. I feel like if Kurtz would have told the her the truth that he said "the horror! the horror!", that she might have been able to move on and eventually be happy again. Since he lied and told her that his last words were her name, she may never get over Kurtz, and feel the need to remain unmarried because of her true love for Kurtz. But not the "real" Kurtz, the "illusion" of Kurtz. If she knew the truth about him, she wouldnt have a guilty conscience about seeing somebody else. Knowing that Marlow is willing to lie about such a dramatic thing shows a lot about his character. There is a tight line between describing him as a straight out liar or somebody who is concerned for huring her feelings.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Marlow shouldn't have lied to the Intended, and perhaps she could have moved on eventually. I never thought about whether or not she would move on depending on the legitimacy of Marlow's statement.
DeleteI never really took into consideration that telling Kurtz's intended the truth could help her move on and recieve closure. That is a good point.
DeleteI think Marlow could have hurt Kurtz's intended even more by telling her the truth. Had he told her the truth, and had she believed him (which may have been difficult for her to do) she would be forced to acknowledge that she did not truly know Kurtz, she would be presented with a different Kurtz. The Kurtz in the Congo is not necissarily the real Kurtz, and it seems cruel to destroy the memories to which his fiancée clings.
DeleteI disagree I do not feel like the intended would have gotten over it if Kurtz told her the atrocities Kurtz had committed. I agree with Eamon's comments she did not know what Kurtz had become she only knows the Kurtz she fell in love with so why destroy her memories?
DeleteI like your idea that if he would have told her about the part that he says "the horror, the horror," she would have moved past it. This showed that he did not approve of what he did and found it horrific, so she still might be able to see the good inside of him. I see why people think that she should know the truth, but I still feel like that would have hurt her more.
DeleteI understand your point of view but wouldn't Kurtz Intended feel even worse if Marlow had told her that one he was cheating and two he died screaming the horror the horror and three that he was a terrible, horrible person? I agree that Marlow has a lot of character.
DeleteI think that Kurtz's Intended will be able to get over Kurtz because she has that last peace. Had she been informed of Kurtz's madness, would she ever have been able to trust again? Would she love again? Would she have faith in humanity? Herself?
DeleteI think either way she'll deal with it and get over it. I guess it will take her longer to get over him, but I don't think she deserves to deal with the outcome of the truth.
DeleteI disagree with the fact that you said he should have told the Intended the truth. Yes, maybe she could have gotten over Kurtz faster, but it may have made it harder for her to love again or for her to trust a man again. The next guy she falls in love with, she may question whether the guy is truly good or is he just as corrupt as Kurtz was. Also, by knowing the truth, wouldn't that hurt her even more?
DeleteI did not think of if she would move on from him if she knew the truth. I thought that if he told the low then she would have closure that he still loved her and she could move on and be happy. I think that she would become depressed and think all the time about if he was thinking about her while he died or if he just lost all love for her all together. I know I would think about that if someone told me my fiancé just said "the horror."
DeleteI agree that he shouldnt have lied, I think that she would have moved on faster if she knew that kind of man he was.
DeleteI like how you viewed the situation from the Intended's perspective to decide if it was a reasonable decision for Marlow to lie to her.
DeleteI don't think that Kurtz should have lied to the "Intended." Marlow himself detests lies and yet he goes on and tells the biggest lie of all, completely agreeing with the Intended's false viewpoint of Kurtz. The Intended did seem insanely in love with Kurtz and even if Marlow had told her the truth, she might have not chose to listen to him. However, as Kurtz's love, the one that he went to extremities for and was the cause of his ivory obsession, she deserved to know what kind of person he was shaped into at the Congo. The Intended deserves the right to know of all the experiences and emotions Kurtz had gone through, even if it will traumatize her and even Marlow with the overwhelming darkness. The woman in the painting had been carrying a light in the dark, and perhaps Marlow wanted the Intended to represent that girl for Kurtz. Her shining forehead, her pure thoughts concerning her love, he wanted her to stay clean and be the light that Kurtz had lost in himself. She is blindfolded, just as the woman in the painting, because she is blind to everything Kurtz had actually committed and felt and by the end of the book, seems to be the only one who could still hold a light among all the darkness everywhere--even if it is an oblivious one.
ReplyDeleteYou are right about how Kurtz's intended caused his obsession for ivory. I believe that in addition to that you could even go as far to blame her for his transfomation as a person.
DeleteAlthough Kurtz's intended may have a right to know who Kurtz became, is ignorance really bliss? Is it really fair for Marlow to destroy her memories of Kurtz as he was just because of who Kurtz became in the final weeks or months of his life?
DeleteWhy do you think it was necessary for her to get the truth from Marlow? She was already so sad from the news of the death of Kurtz what would telling her of the gruesome things Kurtz did, do for her?
DeleteI agree that with you that Marlow should have not lied since he hates liars, but in fact he is lying. I liked your comparison to the panting and the intended.
DeleteI disagree because what good does it really do? She already lost him physically, why ruin her memory of him as well?
DeleteMarlow made the correct choice by deciding to lie to Kurtz's intended. While the audience sees only the greedy, corrupt, and insane side of Kurtz, Conrad writes that Kurtz was not always that way. Kurtz's intended never saw the dark side of Kurtz, she has only ever known the kind and brilliant Kurtz. While both sides of Kurtz are just as real, it seems unfair to shatter his intended's image. She does not need to know of the monster Kurtz became, because the Kurtz Marlow sees, the Kurtz in the Congo, is not her Kurtz. She should be allowed to mourn Kurtz as she remembers him. Kurtz unfortunately succumbed to his animalistic insticts and his evil greed but that does not need to define his character for those who knew him before his downfall. Sharing the truth with Kurtz's intended would only serve to shatter her positive remembrance of Kurtz and describe a man of whom she knew nothing.
ReplyDeleteThe decision reveals that despite Marlow's hatred of lies and his admiration for Kurtz's honesty, he still cannot bring himself to tell the truth to Kurtz's fiancée. This act is Marlow's last act of loyalty to Kurtz, allowing his intended to mourn Kurtz as he was, not Kurtz as he becomes. Kurtz's intended behaves in a manner similar to the other European women we see, and lives up to Marlow's assertion that women "live in a world of their own, and there has never been anything like it, and never can be." (10) By lying to Kurtz's intended, Marlow ensures that she continues to live in this fantasy world, protecting her from the harsher realities of life. Ironically, Marlow initially feels contempt for women due to this fantastic view of life, however he encourages it with his lie.
Had Marlow decided to share the truth with Kurtz's fiancée she would likely not even believe it. Her absolute devotion to Kurtz, displayed in statements such as "Men looked up to him-his goodness shone in every act. His example-" (71) shows her utter commitment to her wonderful, saint-like image of Kurtz. While this image seems foreign to Marlow and others who encounter Kurtz in his last days, this benevolent Kurtz is the Kurtz that his fiancée knew. She, like the others before her, represents the naïve and sheltered European woman, and Marlow cannot possibly pry her away from her firm grasp to the image of the old Kurtz.
In addition, Kurtz's intended relates back to the painting as she is figuratively blind folded, just as the woman in the painting. She cannot see the darkness, yet holds tight to a bright image of goodness and charity.
DeleteI understand what you are saying about Marlow's lie as an act of loyalty, but I don't think it was the right decision. Marlow stayed loyal to Kurtz, but he did not stay loyal to his own beliefs; he detested lies. Kurtz' fiancée had the right to know the truth, but I agree, it would be difficult for her to let go of the image of the Kurtz' she once knew.
DeleteI definitely agree with the first paragraph--Kurtz's Intended should not be punished for Kurtz's actions. However, I do believe that she would have believed Marlow had he told the truth and that it would have destroyed her. That is why I believe that Marlow made the right decision.
DeleteYou made a pretty good point in your last paragraph that I hadn't really thought about. The one about the intended not even believing Marlow, definitely a distinct possibility. Maybe the intended symbolizes the attitude of Europeans at this time; they're in denial and insist that what they are doing to their colonies is a good thing, despite the atrocities hat are really taking place.
DeleteYup.
For a man who hates lies it is pretty ironic that Marlow chooses to lie to Kurtz's intended. I believe that idealy he should not have lied to her about Kurtz's last words. However, it is hard to break that kind of news to someone who is so blissfully ignorant of the reality. It shows that Marlow has compassion to spare her from such news. If he had told her it would have crushed her. It is like telling a child that there is no such thing as Santa Clause. These are similar senarios because of how child like and ignorant Kurtz's intended is. Additionally, Kurtz's intended can be compared to the woman in Kurtz's painting who is blindfolded because just as the woman in the picture, Kurtz's intended is blinded to the truth and the reality of things.
ReplyDeleteI like your comparison of Kurtz' Intended to a child. It's interesting that both Kurtz and his Intended are depicted as childlike. The Intended because of her naivety, and Kurtz because of his id driven personality. Like a child, Kurtz desired to have his wants and needs fulfilled immediately.
DeleteI agree with the idea that Kurtz' intended is the lady in the picture. It would prove that he thinks that she is too ignorant to suspect his schenanegains in the Congo.
DeleteYes, I agree it is very ironic. I like the term "compassion" that you used. I agree with your analogy of telling Kurtz Intended the truth but like the old saying goes "ignorance is bliss."
DeleteI also thought it was really ironic how Marlow hates liars yet lets the intended ramble about how good of a man Kurtz was. It almost made me angry and I felt Marlow should have told her the truth.
DeleteI have a lot of respect for Marlow after he decided to lie to Kurtz’ “Intended.” I think it’s a good decision because it is better for the “Intended” to have a good view on Kurtz (since he is dead and cannot change it back). Marlow was sparing her feelings and helping her through a tough time, and I think that that decision deserves a lot of respect. This shows that Marlow cares a lot about other people. This conversation also shows that the “Intended” has a false illusion of Kurtz. She believes that he is a good person because she never saw his barbaric side. This relates to the painting because, like the woman in the painting, the “Intended” does not see everything. She is blind to what Kurtz did wrong, just like the woman was blind to what she was getting into in Africa. Like the woman, the “Intended” did not know how terrible Africa was and therefore does not realize what Kurtz was getting into.
ReplyDeleteI like how you said you have respect for Marlow because it shows that what he did was actual noble of him.
DeleteI also agree how the woman in Kurtz's picture represents the blindness of his intended's thoughts of Kurtz. She was wrongfully lied to and she should have been told the truth.
DeleteMost people would say how it was hypocrisy, but i agree with you here when you say that is was a good decision. Marlow does not intend to hurt anyone and he took the best route to help ease the Intended's pain.
DeleteWon't it be harder for Kurtz's Intended to stop mourning him if she keeps on believing that he was a good man to the end?
DeleteI agree, how could Marlow break that woman's heart. Its been a year and she id still in mourning, Marlow did the right thing.
DeleteEven though I disagreed, I can see why you think it was noble of him to protect the Intended from the truth and ease her mourning.
DeleteAfter discovering that Marlow lied to Kurtz' Intended, my initial reaction was shock and disappointment in Marlow's character. He goes on and on about how he detests lies, and then proceeds to tell a lie to the one who loves Kurtz the most. Marlow admired Kurtz because he was open about his actions, and didn't hide the truth. Lying to Kurtz' Intended makes him a hypocrite. I understand Marlow's incentives in lying to the Intended. It is clear that the Intended truly loves Kurtz, and Marlow does not want to burden her with the truth about Kurtz' transformation in the Congo. However, the Intended is in love with the Kurtz she used to know; she thinks Kurtz is a good man, virtuous, and noble. While Marlow's actions may appear to be a caring gesture and "for the best" of the Intended, they hurt her in the long run. She is left believing that Kurtz died a noble death, and that he stayed loyal to her and loved her. This may cause her to never let go of Kurtz. She may forever remain a widow because she didn't know the truth. She states, "I am unhappy-for life". Had Marlow told her the truth, it would have hurt her; however, she could have moved on, instead of living the rest of her life mourning for an undeserving man.
ReplyDeleteThe Intended represents the blindfolded woman in Kurtz' painting, because she is blinded from the truth- the darkness of Kurtz. She sees the good in Kurtz, the light. She is described with light like qualities: a forehead "smooth and white", "light of belief and love", "and unearthly glow in the darkness".
I totally agree with your observation of the painting because his Intended is blinded from the darkness of Kurtz.
DeleteI had the same initial reaction as you but I did not consider how the lie would cause her to never let go of Kurtz. I think that idea shows when Marlow said it seemed like no time had passed for her and that she had guessed his last words pertained to her. Good analysis!
DeleteI like your view of the painting, I actually thought that the torch represented the woman attempting to find the good in Kurtz in the heart of darkness.
DeleteI think Marlow made the right decision by lying to Kurtz's intended. She was already in so much emotional pain from the death of a man she though she knew, she would be crushed if she knew the truth about him. Even though Marlow hates lies, I think he puts himself in her position and realizes that the best decision is to not tell the truth. However, this does show that Marlow is somewhat fake because lies "simply appall" Marlow (Conrad, 23). Kurtz's intended thinks Kurtz is like a God just like the natives because she has no idea the horror he caused in the Congo. Kurtz's painting reveals a woman blindfolded carrying a torch. This could represent his Intended because she is "blind" to what Kurtz is doing in the Congo but the light can represent what she is trying to find out about him.
ReplyDeleteI disagree. The truth hurts, but it makes you stronger. Now that woman will be living the rest of her life as a lie. She will probably never attempt to marry again out of her deep love and respect to Kurtz, instead of being hurt for a short time and finding a man who really cares for her.
DeleteI disagree with the fact he should have lied, but how you pointed out that Kurtz was more of a god to his intended more than anything and his corruption was not seen by her really makes a good point! Awesome thought!
DeleteThe end of the story for me reminds me of the saying, ignorance is bliss. I completely agree with Marlow's decision to lie to the Intended and I think this says that his character is more compassionate and loyal to Kurtz that I had recently thought. In contrast, I feel like the fact that Marlow lied to the Intended further supports the prominent way women is portrayed in this novel, which is weak. The reason Marlow chose to lie to her was because she was still mourning as if Kurtz had just died yesterday a year later, could it of been he thought she could not handle the truth? Maybe he felt like a life with memories of what Kurtz was was better than the painful truth of what he had become. This reminds me of how the woman earlier portrayed in the painting was blind folded guided by a torch of light, because just like the woman in the painting Kurtz' Intended was blind to what he had become, but seemed to be the only one who could hold on to any light (be optimistic.
ReplyDeleteI really like your approach on this. I agree with you that Kurtz may have done the right thing by lying to the girl. He did not want to ruin her image of the man she loved and praised. Then again, he does show that he thinks that she is weak and can't handle it. Perhaps he felt that the girl should not be disturbed by the new person Kurtz was because she never had to meet him or maybe because he thought that he might not have know Kurtz's "true self". I really like how you brought that painting back in. Perhaps even, Kurtz painted about her and her ignorance and how she always was optimistic. Awesome job.
DeleteMarlow states that telling her the truth "would have been too dark," which proves that he does have some compassion. He is more compassionate than I thought he was in the beginning, too.
Deletei didn't think of the portrayal of women in this novel. There aren't but two women seen in this novel and both of them are in love with Kurtz. Nice insight
DeleteI do not agree with the decision at all. Marrow has gone on throughout the whole novella despising all the liars he encountered, and even saw past every single one of Kurtz' flaws because he spoke the truth. Marrow says, "This is the reason why I affirm that Kurtz was a remarkable man. He had something to say. He said it" (91). This lie shows that Marlowe has not escaped the Congo without being changed. Now, he lies. However, this lie shows something else about the Intended. It shows that Kurtz' fiancé was weak. Kurtz would maintain that if after a year one still mourns the death of someone, then that person is weak. What's more, the lie shows that the Intended cannot handle the news that her lover was a terrible man. Her need to be reassured shows her weakness, and through that a possible explanation for why Kurtz cheated on her with the woman decorated like a queen in the Congo. This also makes me think back to the painting Kurtz painted. Perhaps his Intended is the woman in the painting? It would explain how he feels about her. She is a weak woman that is not only blind, but ignorant to the truth. She follows him without question. The Intended is the woman from his painting, which might have been the first time in the Congo that Kurtz desired a woman who had power and did not submit to his will so readily.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said about Marlow not escaping the Congo unchanged. Before entering thte heart of darkness, Marlow stated that he hated lies; a year after leaving the Congo, he lies to Kurtz' intended, showing the impact that the heart of darkness had on him.
DeleteI find your point about the Intended being weak interesting. When I started reading it I thought of the woman in the Congo being a strong person in contrast, and you mentioned this as well. Possibly it was too easy to control her, and this is why he cheated? As a way to have more excitement or more of a challenge? I am torn though, because I don't necessarily agree that she is weak because she is still mourning. Do you think her view of Kurtz would even change if she knew the truth?
DeleteYour whole idea of the intended being weak makes a lot of sense. It also serves to create contrast between both Kurtz' "partners," the strong, fearsome African warrior lady and the innocent white lady. It makes a statement about the vast gap that exists between the culture of the two countries. Gender roles and all that. Yeah.
DeleteI believe that Marlow did the choice that most would have done, despite prior knowledge known about Kurtz. Thoughout the entire novella, Conrad puts Kurtz in an engima and only through stories does Marlow learn about Kurtz. Among these stories were native brutality, corruption, and a mysterious illness. With all of these and more, it seems that the right choice would be to tell his Intended everything. However, Conrad uses Kurtz's Intended to reveal information about the reason Kurtz was out in the Congo to begin with. She says that he was out there to prove that he was worthy of her and that he didn't have to be rich to belong together. Realizing that she lived in everlasting bliss with knowledge of one side of Kurtz, a side that she loved with all her might, he didn't want to shatter that illusion that Kurtz was something she didn't know about. Even though it is ironic for Marlow to lie when he is against lies, he does out of the pity he feels about the blindness of his Intended. This relates to the painting of a blind woman Marlow saw before meeting Kurtz. Conrad uses the painting as a way to symbolize that women live in a naive, simple life away from the harsh truth that lies beyond their world.
ReplyDelete-Nik P.
By lying to Kurtz' intended, Marlow reveals that he is fake. Marlow admires Kurtz because he accepts his actions; he looks down upon the station manager because he puts up a facade. Marlow's lie to Kurtz' intended is very ironic because he does what he hates others to do: lie. I am torn to say whether or not Marlow's decision was the correct one or not. If I were in his shoes, I most likely would have done the same thing he did in order to protect Kurtz' intended and her emotions. She was clearly distraught and if she knew the truth, it would have only made things harder for her. On the other hand, she deserved to know the truth, regardless of if it is what she expected or wanted to hear. The painting that Marlow saw shows a blindfolded woman carrying a torch. This relates to Kurtz' intended because she is blind to "the horrors" that he committed in the Congo. The torch she is carrying could represent a flicker of hope she has because of Marlow’s lie because she thinks that Kurtz lived and died as an honorable man.
ReplyDeleteWhy exactly do you think Marlow is fake? Perhaps he doesn't want to crush the poor girl? However i do agree with you in that Marlow was being a hypocrite and it was very ironic because of his hatred for lying and he lied straight to that poor girl's face. I like how you brought back in the painting. The Intended is blind to the darkness and she does seem to carry that flicker of hope.
DeleteI don't think that Marlow was fake. Think of ourselves; nobody likes a liar, but we all lie regardless. It is in our human nature to in a sense "protect" people, even if that means lying, which is what Marlow did. I do agree though that it is a tough decision to decide if it was correct or not, because i can see the point of both sides.
DeleteI don't think Marlow was a fake either. In fact, I think he shows an admirable trait by lying to her, a trait that Kurtz lacked. He shows compassion. He feels her love and joy at the memory of her beloved and chooses not to ruin that for her.
DeleteI understand where you were coming from by saying that Marlow is fake. However, do you think that there was a benifit to Marlow lying or should he have stuck to his morals?
DeleteYes, Marlow hated liars. However, this is an idea that is absolute and unmoving, and that is not how humanity works. It is important to make decisions based on the situation, and that is exactly what Marlow did. Instead of holding on to his beliefs with the dangerous rigidity that is often connected to fanaticism, Marlow made the decision that would cause less pain. He decided (and rightly so) that Kurtz’s Intended should not be punished for Kurtz’s actions. He gave her peace so that she can move on and trust again. Marlow’s final lie was not, I think, a manner of loyalty to Kurtz. Instead, it was a matter of loyalty to humanity. Marlow understood the corruption of the human condition and chose the path that was less logical but kinder, and that shows his growth as a character.
ReplyDeleteKurtz’s painting showed a blindfolded woman holding up a light. Although it is still a representation of European corruption, it is now clear that it may also symbolize Kurtz’s intended. She is a woman who was kept from the truth and was therefore able to maintain her light when none around her could. When Marlow is speaking to her, he states, “She stood up; her fair hair seemed to catch all the remaining light in a glimmer of gold.” It seems as though Kurtz’s Intended is leaving no light for Marlow and taking the “remaining light” for herself. Marlow is forced to lie and the woman is allowed to continue living in her world of fantasy.
I find it cool how you said that Marlow wasn't doing this for Kurtz but for humanity itself because that is an interesting take i don't think anyone really realized. Also, when you said Marlow had to make a decision, I instantly (I don't know why) thought of how a quarterback in football calls an audible to create the best possible play for his team.
DeleteI thought that Marlow’s decision was very ironic because he made it clear that he hates liars. But when it came to telling the poor girl about Kurtz’s last words he flat out lied. Perhaps he didn’t want to crush her love and hope about Kurtz, or maybe he didn’t want to have to go into the long story about why his last words were “The horror, the horror.” I do however agree with this decision. This girl has lost everyone and is alone. The only thing that seems to keep her moving is her delusion of the person Kurtz used to be, crushing that would crush her. This shows how Marlow can be hypocritical, but he is also kind because he did not want to break this girl’s heart. In addition, this shows the innocence, and perhaps weakness, of the Intended. She only sees the good Kurtz that she knew before he left, and Marlow lie shows that he thinks that she is too weak to handle the truth. While commenting on others’ posts, I thought that perhaps Kurtz’s painting represents her; she is blind to the truth and the darkness, but she holds a glimmer of truth. Perhaps she is the woman that Kurtz painted.
ReplyDeletePerhaps it's true that his Intended was the model Kurtz used in making that oil painting, but why make her face so sinister in the light? Did he not think as highly of her as she thought of him, or did he just want to juxtapose the severity of the heart of darkness's effects even on someone so innocent? I do agree that she was likely too weak to handle the truth at any moment in her entire lifetime. For her, Kurtz will always seemed to have died merely yesterday, and she will perpetually mourn her loss.
DeleteI believe that Marlow should not have lied to the inteneded because she has every right to know what truly became of Kurtz. She should not have to live with this lie that Kurtz was a "good man" and a "humble being". One thing Marlow can't stand are liars and he didn't do anything to stop the intended from boasting of what a just and fair man Kurtz was. She's been in mourning for a year, it is time that Marlow tells her the reality of what Kurtz has become because I know if I were in her position, I would want to know the truth and not be percieved as "weak" that I could not handle the truth. This potrays Kurtz's personality as compassionate and respectful because even though he hates liars, he is willing to let the intended live in her fantasy of her sane Kurtz and all the good he has done to the Africans. At first I was confused of what Kurtz;s picture represented. No I see that the woman represented his Intended because she was being led aimlessly through the darkness. She was blind-folded because she was lied to by the reality of what Kurtz really was.
ReplyDeleteI think that Marlow respected her memory of Kurtz by not telling her. Is it better to destroy he memory of Kurtz and make her question her love for who he used to be or to lie to her so she can keep the memory of her old lover intact?
DeleteDid you consider that Marlow did not truly know Kurtz so him telling her the truth would destroy the image of who Kurtz was for the majority of his life?
DeleteGood question, Lindsay! Ana, while I think Kurtz should have told the Intended the truth, I understood where he was coming from. He just wanted to uphold Kurtz's reputation. He felt that Kurtz repented his sins when he died, so I think Marlow feels that he should be remembered for the goodness inside of him, not the evil in him.
DeleteDo you think this lie will back fire in the end and possibly even have more damaging effects on Kurtz's Intended than if Marlow had just told her the truth? I said that Marlow's decision to lie was a good thing because he had good intentions, but I can't help but think of what might happen if she finds out about the truth of Kurtz later on in the future.
DeleteI think that Marlow lied to the Intended for her own good. Yes, Marlow hates liars, and yes, it was a complete lie, but what about the alternative? This parallels with who Marlow decided to place his loyalty with. Either way it was a bad idea, but he chose the lesser of the two evils. It was still a "nightmare" either way, but the girl was so devastated even after a year that it would have been cruel to crush her spirits. There is the idea that the girl will never find out about the secrets that lie within the heart, but Marlow did give some of Kurtz's papers to his "cousin," so she might learn the truth if they are published. I think he used good judgement when he lied. If I was in the same position as the Intended then yes, I would want to know the truth, but if I didn't even know what he did in the first place then I would not understand the truth, and that would haunt me even more. I think Marlow did her a favor in sparing her feelings, so the heart of darkness did not completely take away his humanity. For the intended, she will get to mourn her love with a sense of peace, even if it is false hope. In connection to the painting, the girl represents the Intended. The blindfold represents how she is "blinded" by the light, which can be interpreted to mean she is blinded by truth. Through the darkness, there is still the light or the possibility that good things were done, so the blindfold hides all the horrible things from her and instead she is left with the hope that good things really did happen.
ReplyDeleteI do like that you related his choice to the lesser of two nightmares, since it is for sure applicable to this dilemma. Either way, a truth or a lie would not be able to heal her broken heart, but this situation can only be solved by "letting her down easy" or "what answer will harm her the least?". Thought Marlow values honesty far above compassion and false sincerity, some part of him understands that Kurtz's Intended does not; a mourning near-widow would much rather hear lies of grandeur than truths of cruelty and malice.
DeleteKurtz's intended may not get over the fact that he is dead, but at least she does not have to be disgusted in the fact that Kurtz was a man that she would never wish him to be. The only thing that she knows is that her wonderful husband to be had died. This is easier to get over than knowing that he was a murderer that loved the sweet taste of power and wealth and also had other relations with a Congolese woman. I feel that it would be so much harder to get over the truth, and Marlow saved her from that pain. Not only did Marlow save the intended a life full of question about what really happened, he also gave her the chance to love again and still trust the one she loves. If he had told her the truth, she may not be able to trust or love to that same amount ever again. The painting actually foreshadows what is to happen to the intended because it shows her as a blind woman that has to guide herself through life not knowing what had truly happened to Kurtz. She is blind to all of the pain and suffering that had happened in the Congo, but maybe that is what is best for her.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point that coping with a loss while oblivious to the truth is easier than trying to cope with the loss and dealing with the disgusting truth as well.
DeleteI agree - she would lose her faith in love, in hope, leading her to live a life of despair and hopelessness.. This would destroy her goodness all together.
DeleteI feel like Marlow had good intentions in lying to Kurtz's intended. He saw how hopelessly in love she was with the Kurtz she knew, and by revealing the real man he was to her, it would only cause her more pain. Marlow felt there no logical reason to cause this extra pain and suffering to Kurtz's intended as Kurtz is already dead - so just let her live in the memories that she knew and cherished. It reveals how compassionate and humane Marlow is as a person, despite living in the Congo. It reveals that the intended was in love with a man that she did not fully know. She is in love with a memory.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you said she is in love with the memory of Kurtz. That is a take on it I really never thought of while reading and reflecting.
DeleteI also feel that the ability of Marlow to lie to the woman reveals his humanity, rather than a flaw in his character.
DeleteI beleive that Marlow was right for telling Kurtz's intended the lie about his final words. When Marlow is talking to her, she told him that she knew him best and Marlow began to beleive that she actually did. Kurtz's intended knew the real Kurtz before he went into the Congo for his desire of wealth, while Marlow had found the Kurtz that had been changed by the wilderness and the ivory found in the Congo. By telling Kurtz's inteded the truth about his final words, Marlow would be, in a sense, spreading a view of Kurtz that wasn't who he really was before he went mad, effectively causing him to "lie" about Kurtz. Also, Marlow is a moral person and can see that he didn't want to crush Kurtz's intended view on the man she loved, because she said that thinking of him was a small bit of happiness before a life of unhappiness. Telling the truth in that situation then would destroy her illusion of happiness and leave her nothing to adore and cherish for the rest of her life, and Marlow couldn't possible bear to do to anyone.
ReplyDeleteI can also relate back to the painting because I can see the woman in it as an image of Kurtz's intended. The woman in the painting is blindfolded and holding a light unto the darkness. This is similar to his intended because she was blind to the true darkness around her of what Kurtz had become in the Congo and holds this light, happy, pure image of him with her of what she knew of Kurtz before he went away.
1. Listening to what the Intended had to say about who Kurtz was before the Congo struck a chord in me. I felt this new compassion toward Kurtz as being a man of virtue before his downfall. Yet, she's living an illusion. Is ignorance bliss? As much as I want Kurtz to tell the truth, I can understand how difficult it must be to learn the horrid truth of someone you love dearly, completely shattering what you once thought of that person.
Delete2. I love your perception of the painting and the woman in the light of an illusion of Kurtz because she is so in love with the original Kurtz.
I think Marlow’s decision to lie to the Intended was a good decision. It reveals that Marlow is compassionate; he is willing to sacrifice his personal stigma against lies in order to aide a fellow human being. Buy lying, he protects the Intended from having to open a can of worms which she does not deserve to open. On the other side, it could be seen as an injustice, depriving the woman from the truth. I, however, believe that the severity of this injustice does not outweigh how incredibly shocking and horrible the truth is. I do see this relating back to the painting Kurtz created. The painting depicted “a woman, draped and blindfolded, carrying a lighted torch” (83). Now, I picture his Intended as the blindfolded woman. She is blind to all of the atrocities of Africa and the flaws in Kurtz. Due to her blindness, she still proudly carries a torch of hope, just as the shielded Intended is boldly in love with Kurtz, carrying on their relationship.
ReplyDeleteI also mentioned in my analysis that feminism comes into play when Marlow cannot "corrupt" innocent women with the dark truth because we must protect their precious worlds. You know, the Intended may need to know the truth not because she did anything wrong, but she is now the victim of the darkness inside Kurtz and must pay the price of his hollowness.
DeleteMarlow still has morals and compassion even after coming back from the Congo. He is not hallow like Kurtz was; still, I believe that what did change is how he viewed justice and truth. How Marlow lied to the Intended reminded me of what Marlow and the Manager discussed how women are pure and need to be protected from the dark truth. However, we see that the Intended represents Europe's ignorance to the truth in the Congo, the oppression, cruelty, and greed. When Marow lied to the Intended, it also showed how much longer Europe had to wait until the darkness was revealed. Because of that global connection, I believe that Marlow should have told the truth about Kurtz or else it would only come out later in a secondary source.
ReplyDeleteReferring back to the painting, the Intended woman reminds me of a woman in oblivion (blindfolded) leading people in false hope. It seems that if the Intended is Europe, then Europe is guiding these colonists to "sinister" methods in the Congo blindly without knowing just how corrupted and tragic the influence in the Congo is.
I completely agree with your idea of Kurtz's Intended representing a pure and innocent Europe. The question then remains if it is better to live in blissful ignorance or sorrowful knowledge. Probably most of us would say the later if asked in this way, but many seemed to be concerned with protecting the woman's troubled emotions when that's really not the larger thing at stake here.
DeleteJULIA
DeleteWhat is the larger thing at stake here? Do you think you could, or anyone should, walk up to a innocent, oblivious, unknown woman in mourning for a year, and tell her the man she was in love with, waiting for, dreaming about, hurting from, was all a lie? I think that shows a lack of humanity to go up to the Intended and tell her everything was a lie.
I agree with Marlow's idea to lie to Kurtz's Intended. As the Intended talked about Kurtz, you could tell that she really loved him and that she is still crazy about him even after a year. The things that she said about him were all good. She fell in love with a nice guy and her last memory of him was of the guy she knew and fell in love with. I don't think it would be right for Marlow to tell the Intended that Kurtz is really corrupt. She doesn't need to know that her love is actually a terrible man, instead she should remember Kurtz as the guy she knew, not who other people knew. I think it shows Marlow as a compassionate guy because he cares about the Intended and cares about Kurtz's reputation. I also think it shows that Marlow is a hypocrite because in the beginning of the book, he said he hates lies, but he is lying all the time now. I also think it shows that the Intended is clueless about what is going on around her, but it also shows that she sees the good in others.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you're able to see the honorable side of what Marlow did and also the hypocritical. I agree that Marlow was only trying to protect the Intended and Kurtz' reputaion. Also, I hadn't thought of Marlow protecting Kurtz' reputation and I really like that point!
DeleteKurtz’s intended is naïve and sees only the good side of people, including Kurtz. By telling the white lie, Marlow protects her innocence and her memory of Kurtz. Since Kurtz is dead, his intended never has to face the reality of what he had become. I would have done the same thing as Marlow because it is cruel to corrupt a person’s memory of another. Marlow shows compassion for the woman by not ruining the positive image she has of Kurtz so she can keep a good memory of the man she loved. The intended is like the woman in the painting because both are blinded. In the painted woman’s case, she is blinded by a blindfold. Marlow takes on the role of the blindfold because he believes that sometimes it is not in someone’s benefit to see the light. In this moment, Marlow makes yet another exception to his no lying rule to protect the intended. This protection can be seen as a last favor or act of loyalty to Kurtz because he is looking out for the happiness of the woman Kurtz loved.
ReplyDeleteIs it more cruel to corrupt a person's memory of another or let their own memory be corrupted by obtaining a false sense of the truth about that person?
DeleteI agree with Marlow's decision to lie to Kurtz's "intended" because she was so happy with her memory of him when he was good. It would crush her if Marlow told her that Kurtz's last words were, "the horror, the horror," that he actually turned crazy out in the jungle, and started messing around with a native woman. I think that it reveals that Marlow still has a sensitive side, even coming back from the dark times in the Congo. It also reveals the innocent side to Kurtz's "intended," too. She shows compassion and a sort of naive thought, because she thinks that Kurtz could never be thought of as evil or greedy. It would be like telling a 3 year old that Santa is not real when that is her hero. This relates back to Kurtz's painting of the woman with darkness around her and just a light shining in front of her face. The painting describes how blind the intended is from the truth and she can only see the good "light" in the darkness.
ReplyDeleteI like the example you used with the santa! it's cute and fits perfectly with the Intended.
DeleteMarlow, in the beginning of the novel, clearly states that he despises lies. For this reason, he prefers Kurtz's honest darkness to the manager's artificial goodness. This shows that Marlow is definitely desperate for truth since he would rather respect the darkness than a fake innocence. Nevertheless, Marlow decides to lie to the Intended. Such a lie is a 'white lie' since his intent for lying is to protect the Intended from getting hurt. I think this is ironic because he chooses darkness over light just to have 'truth', however such obsession with 'truth' is easily defeated simply because he is too concerned about not hurting the Intended's feelings. I view this decision as both weak and ironic.
ReplyDeleteSuch ironic and weak decision to tell a white lie suggests the soft and the emotional part of Marlow.
I think that the Intended is the blindfolded woman in the painting that was described in part 1. Much like the woman in the painting, the Intended is 'blindfolded' by Marlow from the truth. Also, there was a little bit of light in the painting, which I think represents the hope and the belief the Intended still has for Kurtz.
Adding on to what I said about Marlow lying to the Intended, I think that perhaps Marlow lies to her in order to protect her 'truth'. To the Intended, the truth is that Kurtz is a great man with great intentions. Since she has believed this from the very beginning, there is a possibility that it became the truth for her. Therefore, Marlow could have realized this and lied to her in order to protect her truth from being destroyed. While Marlow's actions are contradictory to his own statement that he despises lies, I think he chooses to lie because the Intended is in a much worse emotional state than Marlow, so he can handle lies better than the Intended can handle the ugly truth.
DeleteI like your mentioning of Marlow choosing darkness over light. This juxtaposition occurs a few other times in the plot line as well and acts as a pivotal force affecting many occurances in the novel. Very insightful!
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ReplyDeleteEventhough Marlow absolutey hates lies, I think that he let his compassion and humanity through to protect Kurtz' intended. This shows that Marlow is able to read into peoples' emotions and ways to handle situations properly, and this is why we compared him to the Ego in class today.Regarding the Intended,I think that her gullibility and ignorance to who Kurtz really was shows when she believes Marlow. She sees Kurtz as the man who was willing to go into Africa to make enough money to mary her, not the man who let that money define him. Her inability to realize this shows how she is either blocking out what she knows is true, or just never knew Kurtz deep enough to see his innermost self. I think that the painting is very much like Kurtz' intended becasue both are blind and do not understand or know what is going on around them. The painting is extremely dark and Marlow also decsribes everything aroudn Kurtz' intended (excepter her forehead) to be dark and shadowy.
ReplyDeleteWhile the truth would have hurt, it would have set her free from this illusion of who she though Kurtz was. The truth would have provided closure and been better for her in the long run.
DeleteI think it was rather wise of Marlow to lie to Kurtz' intended. There was no reason for her to know what happened to her beloved Kurtz out there in the HoD. In fact, telling her that would probably have caused her enormous sorrow and sadness. Maybe Marlow didn't want the pain and suffering that was characteristic of the Heart of Darkness to spread to this young lady's heart, corrupting her with further grief. It's true that Marlow had made a point of not telling lies throughout the story, but as we know, Africa changes people. As for the painting, the blindfolded woman can easily symbolize Kurtz' intended and her blindness to his true behavior in Africa, loyally carrying on his "torch" - most likely symbolizing his memory. That's all I've got. It's 10:30 and I've still got loads of homework to finish.
ReplyDeleteThe horror. The horror.
Isn't Kurtz's Intended already facing enormous sorrow and sadness because she still thinks that Kurtz was a good man to the end? I thought that telling her what really happened would have, in the long term, helped her cope with and find closure in his death.
DeleteI could not have said it any better Patrick. Knowing the truth will only bring even more sorrow and pain, because then she will feel like she married a monster
DeleteSaid the same thing in my comment about how it would've caused her more sorrow and sadness and about the painting too! If I was Kurtz's Intended, I think I would have much rather wanted Marlow to lie to me than have to hear about the horrow my fiance had caused.
DeleteI agree with Marlow's decision to tell Kurtz's Intended what she wanted to hear. I believe Marlow revealed himself as a hypocrite for lying to her because of his strong stance on lying. He revealed that he was not corrupted by the jungle the way others were because he still understood humanity. He did lie to Kurtz's Intended, which he hates doing, but he did so not to taint the light in her by revealing the monster Kurtz turned into. The way she spoke of Kurtz made him seem like a good man, like a man who had restraint and did not take advantage of those around him which was not the man he knew. Marlow made the decision to allow her to believe he was a good person and was thinking of her when he died not to get ahead or make himself look better but to save her from the darkness that was the jungle. I think if Marlow had told her the truth he would have ruined the one part of light that existed in that room which was the Intended's mind and I don't believe Marlow changed enough in the jungle to be capable of ruining someone's memory in that way. I think that this lie he did not perceive as hurting anyone, just like his lie about having great influence in Europe didn't hurt anyone, so he did not feel it meant as much as lying about other things. This makes him a hypocrite. Since the Intended would have been so easily corrupted by the thought of Kurtz's actions, she is revealed as being weak which contrasts the native woman's strength.
ReplyDeleteThe painting relates to her because she is hidden from the truth which leaves her in darkness just as the painting has a woman blind from the truth
I disagree with your view of Marlow: being a hypocrite and not changed by the jungle. To go into the jungle an "honest" man, and come out able to lie so easily to a woman in mourning and believing an illusion of a man she was to be with, seems like he has been changed in a way.
DeleteI dont believe that Marlow should have lied to Kurtz's intended. The fact that he hates liars and he decides to lie makes him a hypocrite. He should have just been straight up with the Intended. Although I understand why he did it, i dont agree with it. maybe if he told her the truth then she would have seen what a bad guy Kurtz really was and she might get over him quicker. The only image she has of him is a good one and doesnt know that truth about him. Kurtz's intended deserves to know the truth about he fiancee even if it is bad. Even if he had good intentions for lying to her, it would probably only hurt her in the long run.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't that crush her, though? She would've went mad if she had known that the Kurtz she knew was all a false illusion..a black smoke..
DeleteI agree with Angela. I could see why Marlow's lie is "wrong", but I think the truth would hurt the Intended more rather than getting over it quicker. You can tell already that she's in the verge of becoming dark herself with all the darkness surrounding and hanging around her like Marlow describes when he sees her. If he had gone and told her the truth then I would think she would have very quickly gone under the darkness herself out of despair, shock, and depression.
DeleteI think Marlow's decision to lie to Kurtz's Intended was something that came from the change that occurred in the Congo. The heart of darkness, the Congo, changed Kutrz, Marlow, and others into a man of greed, infidelity, and corruption. Kurtz changed from the man his Intended knew, Marlow changed from experiencing the heart of darkness, which led to Marlow being able to lie to Kurtz's Intended. Marlow didn't do so to be spiteful, but to hide her from the pain of what this place did to them. He knew, in this instance, that lying was the better thing to do; thus saving an innocent woman from further hurt.
ReplyDeleteIn the sense of the painting, Kurtz's Intended was the blindfolded lady, Marlow was the blindfold, and the memory the Intended believed so strongly in was the torch she carried. Marlow blinded her with a lie, hiding the truth of what Kurtz became and did during his trip. Her facade of him was all she needed to be guided through life.
DeleteIn response to the painting, maybe she isn't really being guided through life. I interpreted it as her searching for the truth, only to be isolated from it by a lie (the blindfold). I do agree with the heart of darkness changing Marlow, though.
DeleteI don't at all agree with Marlow's "little white lie" for a number of a reason. First, it contradicts what he said earlier about hating liars, thereby placing him in a position of extreme hypocrisy. More importantly, however, he's really not helping Kurtz's Intended by lying to her. By personifying Kurtz as a figure of idealistic devotion even to his dying words, she will remain attached to a fake image of Kurtz, and the likelihood of her moving on and finding happiness in another man seems slim given her devotion. Why should she have to suffer the rest of her life for a man who cheated on her and didn't truly love her by the end? Additionally, what's to say that Kurtz's fiancee won't later find out about what he really became? Because she still loves and mourns Kurtz, she's going to try to find out everything she can about him, and surely news of his corruption will come her way sooner or later; we saw reporters swarming Marlow, and surely they also went to people like the Station Manager and his Uncle, who would have had nothing but nasty things to say about him. Wouldn't it be better to hear the bad news now from Marlow (whom Kurtz's Intended sees a person she can trust) rather than later from a third party?
ReplyDeleteWhat this really was on Marlow's part was a show of cowardice. Morality issues of lying aside, in the long run, it won't at all help Kurtz's "Intended" for her to believe that Kurtz was devoted to her through the end. The only reason for Marlow to lie to her was to protect himself. We could either criticize Marlow for this flaw, or we readers can accept that he, like Kurtz, is human and fallible.
I really liked that you pointed out that Marlow lied not to protect the Intended but himself, because it is something I had not thought about. I don't know if I'm on the right track, but do you think he lied to protect the image of Kurtz that he constructed earlier and wants to cling onto so desperately?
DeleteGoing off on a tangent, but your last sentence brings up the question: does being human render one free from criticism for moral failure? I would argue no, but I'd love to hear your response.
Marlow's decision to lie to Kurtz' intended was not one of compassion, but rather one of ignorance. Knowing the truth of what Kurtz had become could not have held any positive implications to his fiancé, but in the end it was the truth. Imparting this truth of what Kurtz had truly become was the just thing to do. Marlow shields the intended from the darkness which emanates from the legacy Kurtz has established for himself. This shows a major character trait in Marlow, and that is his trait to sympathize. The darkness and corruption he had seen in Kurtz was too great for Marlow to relay to his intended who cared so deeply for Kurtz. However, it also shows Marlow to be weak-minded and irresolute. He betrays his own beliefs about lies and truth for the sake of Kurtz' reputation. Marlow let his obsession with Mr. Kurtz change his nature, showing that he has to an extent become corrupted by the heart of darkness.
ReplyDeleteThe ending also revealed a great naivety in Kurtz' intended. In a spectacular display of dramatic irony, Kurtz' intended essentially damns herself to a lifetime of mourning the illusion of Kurtz instead of the monster he had become who the intended is completely unaware of. This relates back to the painting of the blindfolded woman in that, the intended is ultimately blinded by lies, yet perceives herself to be basking in the light of truth.
I saw a connection between this final scene and Brave New World. Through Marlow's point of view, ignorance is bliss, and so he lies to the intended to shield her from the horrors of reality. What he unintentionally does however, is damn her to a lifetime of illusion. So like in Brave New World, in which the citizens live blindly in illusion, the ending of Heart of Darkness poses an interesting question: Would you rather be happy or free?
I like how you connected to the brave new world of how ignorance is bliss and how he blindly ledd her into a "lifetime of illusion.
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ReplyDeleteAbove, Julia mentioned about Marlow putting himself in a state of hypocrisy. Yes, Marlow has made it clear throughout the book that he hates lies. He detests them. However, Marlow lying then shows what a big deal this was, to protect Kurtz's lover, who was innocent, pure, and devoted. She had mourned for over a year. Protecting her was his last duty for Kurtz that Marlow could possibly do. Why break someone's fantasy? There is no point for the innocent woman to know the truth; it is far better for her to keep the noble image of Kurtz she has, to keep her dearest in her good heart. A lot of people were claiming that the woman would have gotten over Kurtz quicker, but I disagree. She would've just been full of grudging ire, for she spent all her life loving a false illusion of a man. This would ruin her pureness. Marlow lying shows that he is indeed the ego, maybe even the superego. It was not an easy decision for Marlow to lie to the woman; he must have contemplated for a while inside. He followed a rational logic process and weighed the consequences of his action. Furthermore, it shows Marlow's compassionate side, as he cares about someone else's feelings other than his own. The painting earlier is clear now: the woman is Kurtz's Intended. She is blind to the HoD and Kurtz's dark side even though they are right in front of her. She claimed that she had known him the best, which is ironic.
ReplyDeleteI like you idea of a compassionate Marlow. During the conversation, she keeps telling Marlow how great Kurts WAS, but she didn't really understand the Kurtz before his death - this act is what makes Marlow furious, but, then, he pities her because of her devotion. In telling a white lie, Marlow is able to protect the illusion of Kurtz she has, so she can move on.
DeleteI didn't really agree with Marlow's decision to lie to Kurtz's Intended, but I can understand why he did it. He said in the beginning that he saw women as purity and innocence who should not be exposed to the harsh reality of the world. In Marlow's mind, he wanted to protect her innocence. This relates back to Kurtz's painting because the setting of the final scene is described as dark. It goes on to say that darkness seemed to be surrounding his intended, like the woman from the painting. She's trying to find the truth, but she can't see anything because she is blinded from the truth. This reveals how the heart of darkness has transformed his heart into something darker. You can already see the transformation occurring when he looks at his reflection in the window waiting to enter the Intended's house and sees Kurtz's reflection staring back at him. By saying this lie, he has become the thing that he hates most: a liar. It shows how his once pure heart has been tainted by his experiences in the Congo.
ReplyDeleteEven though I said I agreed with Marlow's decision, I can totally see why you wouldn't agree with his decision to lie, especially when referring to the Intended's innocence. I really liked how you connected the darkness surrounding the fiancé and the tainted heart of Marlow to the painting and his beliefs.
DeleteI think Marlow ultimately made the right decision in lying to Kurtz's Intended about her fiance's death. As it is alluded to earlier on in the plot, Marlow hates liars more than anything. The fact that he is going against his own personal beliefs and morals demonstrates his unbreakable devotion to Kurtz even in his afterlife. Although Marlow's opinion and position of him has changed with his death, Kurtz will never cease to obtain a special place in Marlow's heart. Marlow lies in order to protect Kurtz's Intended, one of his most prized possessions in a sense. This illustrates the respect Marlow still has for Kurtz even after the atrocities he has committed have become evident to both Kurtz and himself.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you...Marlow made it clear that he hates liars more than anything and the fact that he decided to lie for the sake of keeping one sane, shows his loyalty and empathy for a mourner who lost her life.
DeleteI really thought a lot about Marlow's decision to lie to Kurt'z "Intended" because I could see both sides of the argument, but in the end I felt Marlow made a good decision to lie to Kurt'z fiancé even though it may not be the "right" or "just" thing to do. I agree with Marlow's decision because obviously the fiancé is still mourning for Kurtz A LOT and it would be too much to add to that pain by telling her the whole truth of Kurtz not being the good man she once knew. When I put myself in the fiancé's shoes, I would probably find no meaning to live if Marlow had told me the truth that would shatter all my memories and make me realize that all my waiting was for nothing. Yes, it is possible that the fiancé could move on if the truth was told to her, but I still think it would be better that she carry good memories and thoughts of Kurtz so that she won't have to carry all the pain by herself and at least someone knew the once good side of Kurtz. This reveals Kurt'z Intended is an innocent and sensitive woman who still loves Kurtz or at least the "old Kurtz" that she once knew. Marlow is shown to be a sympathetic person and sparing enough to the fiancé from the terrible truth. I think this all relates to the blindfolded woman in the painting in a way that Kurt'z intended is blinded from the truth yet Marlow's lie is justified in way that protects her from the darkness and going in herself from despair, depression, and shock if she were to know the dark truth about Kurtz.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your stance and I feel that Kurtz Intended is to naive and innocent to know about the reality of the situation since she is living in a state of illusionary aspects, dealing with her relationship with Kurtz.
DeleteI liked that you brought up sympathy as a justification of Marlow's action. I agree that Marlow does not mean harm; his action is out of sympathy. I also liked that you pointed out how despaired she would be if she found out about all the bad things that Kurtz has done. Realizing that your efforts were futile is scary. I think I came to empathize more with the Intended after reading your response.
DeleteI feel Kurtz's intended deserved to know the truth but I found Marlow's lie justified nonetheless. It is arguable that Kurtz is more of an aura than a man. The Congo praises his achievements but rarely sees his physical state, which isn't much to begin with. With that being said, the illusion of Kurtz is more valuable than what he actually is, & should at least be preserved in the eyes of those who knew & loved him before he became "hollow" . Telling her the truth would have been easier, but all she carries now is the memory of Kurtz, so ruining it would only be a hindrance to her closure & detrimental to her fond remembrance of him.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree. She did deserve it, but sometimes the best way to honor people, is to harbor the truth.
DeleteI like your comment of the illusion of Kurtz being important - I agree with this because this image would allow her to, in a way, to move on once Marlow tells her a white lie.
DeleteIn life, there are certain things that are better left unsaid. In this case, Kurtz's actions are better left unsaid. Marlow did the right thing by shielding Kurtz's wife from the real truth about her husband. The horror, behind his death and regret in life. This conscious decision to break out of his shell and tell a lie, shows that somehow, Marlow has a weakness in facing up to challenges.It shows although he despises lies, he doesn't mind telling one in order to escape the eyes of humans. Nevertheless, it shows his nobility and compassion towards Kurtz and his intended. He decides to let her carry the good memories in his life. In the case of the intended, it shows her resistance towards the truth. She does not want to know that the man she married had committed all these atrocities. This is similar to that painting in that, the intended is blindfolded in this case, and will only be led by an illusion she still has of Kurtz.
ReplyDeleteDespite the fact that Marlow did lie to Kurtz’ Intended, I think it was necessary at that time and considerate of him. As he watched her mourn and pour out her heart of a man she thought she knew I believe he became sympathetic and would rather lie to her in order to keep her sane, instead of killing her with the painful truth. I believe Marlow’s decision reveals his sincerity and caring heart to protect the innocent from the perilous truth that may result in a huge disaster. I also think this reveals Marlow’s loyalty to Kurtz, in which he kept his promise that he wouldn’t betray him. In the story, we saw how Marlow hated lies, so the fact that he told a lie, despite his strong beliefs, portrays his willingness to put other before himself despite the obvious regret and self-condemnation that he might have by doing so. Marlow would rather suffer than to see someone else inflicted with pain.
ReplyDeleteRelating back to Kurtz’ painting that Marlow saw of the blind folded lady holding a torch, I think that the picture represented European women (specifically the Intended) and how they are blinded by a false light of what they believe to be the significant reality, but what is actually a false illusion covering up the astonishing truth. The picture represents the obliviousness to their situations and their naïve ability to believe what they see instead of searching with open eyes for the deeper meaning.
Yeah, despite telling a lie, I agree that Marlow, initially shown to be tainted with darkness with the death of Kurz, is able to distant himself from that darkness and able to show compassion which Kurz altogether seemed not able to give or try to.
DeleteI do not think that Marlow's decision to lie was a wise one. The problem here is not Marlow's lie in itself, but the future effects it will have. Marlow's lie is not bad because it is evil in itself, but because it will corrupt the Intended's relationship with other people. She seems to trust Marlow, and her finding out soon about Kurtz's atrocities will not only make her doubt Kurtz, but also Marlow and others she had come to trust. Additionally, Marlow's lie also robs Kurtz of his (arguably) rightful justice. While I am not arguing that Kurtz "should" be forgiven for his recognition, recognizing his fault is quite a feat in itself, and not letting Kurtz's last words out robs Kurtz of the opportunity to assert his humanity - that he does recognize his faults*.
ReplyDeleteOne might argue that Marlow's decision to lie makes him "human." But what makes one human? Is not passion for truth also a part of what composes humanity?
*I think that Kurtz's last words represented his recognition of the horrors of the things he has done. I recognize that my argument falls apart with different interpretations of his last words.
She will not believe anyone else who tells her otherwise, however as her loyalty stems far too deep. Moreover, do you feel the woman would be able to handle the truth about Kurtz? Is it truly even the truth as this was the man in his absolute worst state?
DeleteI don't think Marlow made a wise decision by lying to Kurtz's intended, but honestly, I think if I was in his position, I would have done the same. I'm not saying that lying to her is better than telling her the truth, but both will do damage to her nonetheless. I feel like Marlow chose to lie to her because he just didn't have the heart to tell her what Kurtz had become in the Congo - a completely different man than who she was in love with. Like many other people have said above, I do agree that his Intended should have been told the truth, but in the book it states that she was still mourning and it was over a year past Kurtz's death...imagine how she would have reacted if she had known the truth? I think the damaging effects would have been incredibly worse. This reveals the sympathy and consideration Marlow has for Kurtz's Intended, not Kurtz. With the way he was getting annoyed and agitated by her constant praise over Kurtz, if it didn't have such damaging effects, I think Marlow would have just told her to make her snap out of it, but because she was still so sad and mourning, this shows that Marlow, although has become somewhat dark due the Congo, is being considerate and easy on Kurtz's Intended since she is particularly in a vulnerable state.
ReplyDeleteI saw the painting of the blindfolded woman in the dark with the light from earlier in the story, as a representation of Kurtz's Intended. After Marlow had lied to her and told her how great of man Kurtz was and how he died as a good man, his Intended will now continue to walk through life blindfolded, believing that Kurtz had brought light to wherever he went (The Congo), when in reality all he brought was darkness.
I completely agree with you and I said something extremely similar to this in my own response. I don't advocate what Marlow did, but I believe that was just his humanity kicking in. Even though I think she deserved to know the truth about who Kurtz had become, the fact is, she would not have been able to handle the raw truth. And who's to say she would have believed it anyway? She has this picture in her head of who Kurtz was supposed to be, would Marlow's testimony of a completely different man have changed her opinion?
DeleteI believe Marlow told a lie he wished he could believe himself, but he has seen too much darkness, listened too deeply to Kurtz's voice, just barely escaped the shears of Fate to tell the tale. After coming all this way, surviving the Congo and a glimpse into the heart of darkness, he cannot bear to pass on these burdens to another, a woman who is so blissfully ignorant and in her own little Kurtz-centered world. She is a memory of the past, a phantom whose only purpose is to continue carrying the torch of Kurtz's memory before he'd been tainted by greed. She remembers him a prodigious, respectful pauper who wouldn't commit a bad deed even if the devil himself taunted him. As wrong as he may have felt for letting this fantasy continue, Marlow knows far more guilts already, and this lie is just a minuscule burden next to the truth. Marlow will always know the truth, and that is enough for this world of fleeting lives. What does one little white lie to a grieving woman really matter in the end, in the grand scheme of things? If truth is the horror that Kurtz saw within his own heart, within mankind's, then truth is the darkness lurking within the jungle's heart, the twilit enlightenment that brushed against Marlow when it stole Kurtz's soul into condemnation. After seeing this atrocity and understanding it for what it is, it is no wonder that Marlow acted as he did. Above all else, even truth, Marlow does not want anyone else to experience what he has seen, especially not a woman who only wants a life of peaceful remembrance. He makes her into Kurtz's painting of blind justice. The blindfold keeps her from seeing the sinister truth that enlightenment has wrought upon Marlow's soul. What Justice sees behind that blindfold is unknown to the reader and to any viewer of the painting, but it may be safe to assume that she sees a righteous world full of light and virtue. The beauty of such a lie is worth preserving even to a man who treasures truth as Kurtz treasured ivory.
ReplyDeleteI like your idea that Marlow is protecting the woman from the horrors he has seen as this connects to his statement in the beginning of the book that women should not be exposed to these horrors.
DeleteMarlow's decision to lie to the Intended reveals that his character surpasses that of all others in the novel exponentially. While it is true that Marlow openly declares he hates liars over and over again, the notion that he would put this hatred aside in order to secure the peace of mind of Kurtz's Intended makes it the right thing to do. The woman claims that she knew Kurtz best, and this is true due to the fact that a man in his worst possible state is not who is truly is. Marlow met Kurtz at the most abysmal period in his life, but he was in this situation to become worthy of the hand of the girl he loved. This woman should not have her image of Kurtz tainted by his behavior in the last few days before his death. Who is Marlow to say that the morally corrupt Kurtz is the true man? Moreover, she would not be able to move on from the shock of realizing the man she loved was not who she presumed him to be. Her yearlong mourning for him would have to continue in a stream of confusion at what could have happened to the greatest man she knew. The Intended may be naive in this regard, but this is only as she sees the man she loves in a skewed light. Like the picture of the blinded woman, the Intended is blinded by her love for Kurtz. For Marlow to not force his ideologies and knowledge took great effort, yet his restraint may have allowed the woman to eventually continue on in life. Like the woman blinded with a torch, the Intended will carry the torch of the faux-light of Kurtz with her. Consequently, this will allow her to survive in a way that the truth would not. In this case, the beautiful lie is better than the ugly truth.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a very good point about Marlow not necessarily being able to say that the man he encountered in the Congo is the true Kurtz. While it is hard to sympathize with such a vile character, the reasons for Kurtz's original voyage into the Congo were noble, and perhaps his Intended is right. Maybe she does know the real Kurtz better than anyone else. After all, the only aspect of Kurtz Marlow saw was that blinded by greed.
DeleteI think that Marlow lied to Kurtz's "intended" so that she could live with the memory of a Kurtz that we all wanted him to be. The "intended" is si in love with Kurtz and she knows nothing about what has happened to Kurtz. If she learns that Kurtz's last words were "The Horror!The horror!" she will devastated. Her image of Kurtz's will be tainted just as Marlow's was. I think telling the woman that Kurtz's last words were her name not only brought Kurtz's story to a closing for her but also for Marlow. He wanted to believe that Kurtz said that so that he could erase all the bad memories he has of Kurtz. It's as if Marlow himself envies the woman for knowing si little of what her fiance was like so now she can admire him. Marlow can still admire Kurtz, but now he also knows the evil of Kurtz. This shows that Marlow although adamant about the truth, also thinks about someone's feelings before speaking. This relates back to the painting because the painting was of a woman blindfolded holding a torch. This could be Kurtz's intended, she is blindfolded which represents her being unaware of who Kurtz has become. Her lighted torch can represent her search for Kurtz in the heart of darkness.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do not agree nor support Marlow's decision to lie to Kurtz's Intended, I do understand the circumstances surrounding his decision and consequently am not judgmental of his actions. Personally, I believe his opting to tell a white lie even though he previously revealed how much he detests lies reveals the purity within him that even the heart of darkness was not able to corrupt. Kurtz's Intended's reaction to learning that her fiancé's dying words were her name also reveal a positive characteristic about her- she was completely devoted to the man she loved, the man she believed Kurtz to be. Unlike Marlow and the members of the audience, his Intended does not know of the greed and evil which overtook Kurtz in the Congo, and consequently, she has spent over a year in sorrowful mourning. For this reason, it is only human for Marlow to act the way he does, refraining from tearing apart the image she has in her head of her beloved. This does in fact relate back to Kurtz's painting of the woman bringing light to the darkness, because when this portrait is described, Marlow explains that the woman is blindfolded. Like Kurtz has portrayed with the woman supposed to signify Europe, his Intended is also blindfolded from the truth about the man she planned to marry, led astray by her illusions.
ReplyDeleteIn a sense, I do support Marlow's decision to tell Kurtz intended a white lie. When she approaches him for the first time, he looks at her and notices that's she still wearing black clothes; she is still mourning after a year has passed Kurtz's death. Marlow realizes she mourn due to the fact that she was left nothing of the man who loved her - the man who was the closest thing possible to her. All she desires is something that she could be left with that is of Kurtz - anything. Even though, Marlow is willing to tell her something, he gets angry that she does not know the true Kurtz who was in the Heart of Darkness - the killing Kurtz, the corrupted Kurtz, the greedy Kurtz, and the cheating Kurtz; however, he is willing to keep the pure and innocent Kurtz in her mind. He lies to her and says Kurtz last words were of her name, instead of "The Horror! The Horror!" In saying this he can help her move on with her life - to leave this once "great" man behind and live life. The intended does relate back to the painting in the sense that she is somewhat liked the blinded woman: she cannot see, or perhaps accept, Kurtz evil image. She still believes that the person who brings the light in the Heart of Darkness will help the savages; however, she doesn't realize the Heart of Darkness tempts the true savage nature of the whites.
ReplyDeleteThough Marlow had good intentions in concealing the truth to Kurtz's intended, it was wrong for Marlow to lie to her saying that Kurtz died a noble death and in memory of his beloved intended. Yes, Kurtz's intended may have been even more distraught than finding out that Kurtz died, but at least she would know the true form and transition of Kurtz and not the outdated idea and memory of him. Marlow reveals that he is a hypocrite, as he stated before that he hated lies above all, yet he lied to Kurtz's intended about Kurtz's death and who he was in the Congo. Kurtz's intended conveys a clueless, unconscious state of mind, paralleling with the painting of the blindfolded woman holding the torch - being blind and oblivious to the influence Kurtz had in the Congo while obtaining ivory.
ReplyDeleteI believe its ironic that Marlow chooses to lie here considering the factor in picking the lesser of two nightmares between kurtz and the manager was the issues of lies or pretenses as he admired Kurz for not putting on a facade. Nevertheless, I guess it was better this way than to rather tell her that her husband was a greedy man and a manipulator of the natives. Additionally, Kurz was almost coerced into telling her a lie as she continually pressed him telling a lie as she said tell me what he said. Finally, Kurz relented resulting in him telling a lie. This whole scenario relates to the Kurz's painting of the blindfolded woman as she holds a torch in the dark as Kurz's intended represents the european women as she is blind to the civilization brought to the natives and the evils done. Additionally the picture is seen as in the dark just as kurz intended is additionally seen talking in the dark with her face being pale and distorted by their own darkness they have brought.
ReplyDeleteI think that Marlow made the right decision in not telling the Intended about Kurtz' true nature. Though Marlow hates a lie, in this case, a lie helps prevent Kurtz's darkness from affecting the people that Kurtz actually loved. This shows not a weakness in Marlow's character but rather a strength in bearing the memory of Kurtz' darkness and allowing the intended to remember the good parts of his life. One cannot fault the Intended for believing in Kurtz's goodness; after all, when he left for the Congo, he did profess honest intentions. There is also the parallel between the Intended and the blindfolded woman of the painting. The Intended carries the torch of Kurtz's good memories, while also being protected from seeing the darkness around her. Marlow can be seen as being this blindfold for the Intended.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Marlow’s lie. It was a humane and compassionate thing to do. Kurtz’s intended has suffered enough and I don’t think the truth of Kurtz would her situation any better. Marlow did state that he despites lies, but there is always an exception. If the situation was different – Kurtz’s Intended was less in grief- then perhaps Marlow should tell the truth. The truth will only worsen her situation. She is insanely in love with Kurtz. The truth may put her in denial that Kurtz is not an inhumane, corrupted man.
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