Kurtz' Last Words
...s saving grace throughout his life. Without his voice, he was left to the cold and empty chambers of his spirit or his heart. It seemed to be Kurtz’ voice and his belief in this gift that had gotten him through the drudgery of his life. With the downfall of his life came the downfall or failure of this gift of expression. Kurtz was terrified of slipping into another dimension which would be completely dark and foreboding. In this new dimension he was possibly capturing a glimpse of right before he died, he would no longer possess his voice—his voice which can be compared to his soul or the source of inspiration which lighted his path throughout his life, which was the source of his great achievements and notoriety. Another possible theory is that Kurtz may have been addressing the loss of his material possessions especially the ivory. Kurtz was a relentless seeker of ivory. At one point in the story he threatened to kill someone if that person did not give him their ivory. Kurtz’ life in the wilderness and the quest for ivory had in a sense driven Kurtz mad. He exercised no restraint over himself when it came to obtaining what he wanted in the backwoods. Marlow describes Kurtz in the following terms: I saw the inconceivable mystery of a soul that knew no restraint, no faith, and no fear, yet struggling blindly with itself.” Outwardly, Kurtz was in many ways a man associated with success. However, inwardly, Kurtz had formed almost an unwanted and unhealthy addiction to ivory thus becoming an over-achiever in every dangerous sense of the word...