Marlow and Kurtz as Doubles in Heart of Darkness In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Marlow and Kurtz can be seen as a set of psychological doubles. Kurtz is what Marlow could have become if confronted with the same choices. Although Marlow could have easily succumbed to the darkness, he does not become like Kurtz because of what he sees when he gets to Africa. Marlow sees and hears of the harsh treatment forced …showed first 75 words of 923 total…

…showed last 75 words of 923 total…man has an evil side somewhere inside of them. When he is no longer confined he can turn away and do as he pleases as Kurtz has done. Even though Marlow finds out how easily he could have been more like Kurtz he does not. Throughout Marlow’s journey he begins to see what many other people did not: that Europe was in Africa only for a profit and to civilize the natives of Africa.