Ally Wolf
Pd. 2B
HoD Outline
April 23, 2013
1996 Prompt
1) Thematic Statement: In the end of the novella, “Heart of Darkness,” by Joseph Conrad,
Marlow experiences a moral reconciliation through the death of Mr. Kurtz, the meeting
of Mr. Kurtz’s Intended, and his return to Europe.
2) Paragraph One: The most significant event at the end of the novel is the death of the
notorious Mr. Kurtz, which provides a sort of moral reconciliation within Marlow.
a) “The horror! The horror!”
b) Mr. Kurtz is carried out on a stretcher as he is slowly dying.
c) Typically, death is viewed in a negative light. Here, it is almost a relief that such a cruel
and powerful tryant has reached his end.
d) Causes Marlow to recognize the danger and pain Mr. Kurtz had brought. Marlow
becomes sick and internally conflicted.
3) Paragraph Two: At the very end of the novella, Marlow encounters Mr. Kurtz’s Intended and
has a moral reconciliation after months in the “heart of darkness.”
a) Tells her that the Mr. Kurtz’s last words were her name- feels the need to protect the
naïve woman from the pain of the real world.
b) Marlow’s moral reconciliation includes the desire to keep the world innocent and naïve
and not expose others to the suffering and cruelty of imperialism.
c) “A fool, what with sheer fright and fine sentiments, is always safe.” (pg 77)
4) Paragraph Three: Upon his return to Europe, Marlow experiences a spiritual change and
growth as he no longer views his home nation in the same positive light.
a) Marlow trusts no one and sees the “civilized” people as savages.
b) Reference to the theme: Greed of the Europeans and prejudice.
c) “He has to live in the midst of the incomprehensible, which is also detestable.” (pg. 41)
5) Closing Paragraph:
a) Reference to theme: destruction associated with unchecked power
b) Africa before invaded by Europe was peaceful and naturally breathtaking. However, by
the time Europe was done colonizing, the land was full of filth.
c) Marlow’s moral reconciliation: realizing the horrors and cruelty association with
colonization
d) Reiterate how Marlow had this reconciliation: through Mr. Kurtz’s death, the meeting
with Mr. Kurtz’s Intended, and his return to Europe.
Emily Hodes
Mercado 2B
HOD 1994 Outline
I.
Introduction
a. Though Kurtz is barely physically present in the novel, he greatly influences the main
character Marlow, illustrating how an image and a reputation is sometimes more
powerful than real actions and traits.
II. First Body Paragraph
a. Topic Sentence: Until Marlow meets Kurtz and witnesses his work, Kurtz's reputation
gives a flattering image
b. Details
1. Marlow hears at outer station that Kurtz is a successful ivory hunter
2. At central station manager again tells Marlow that Kurtz is an exceptional agent
3. Brick-maker says Kurtz is a prodigy
4. Learns that Kurtz had plans to civilize the natives
5. Kurtz's painting of a blindfolded white woman
c. Marlow has never met him, assumes he is good even though he has no concrete proof
d. Only knows that he sends back a lot of ivory, and Marlow never thinks about the means
Kurtz goes to get the ivory
e. Marlow thinks about Kurtz's ideals based only on his painting and other people's short
remarks, but really has no idea
III. Second Body Paragraph
a. Topic Sentence: Even upon witnessing Kurtz's horrible deeds, Marlow can't bring
himself to label Kurtz as a bad man.
b. Details
1. Heads of "rebels" on fence posts
2. Harsh treatment of the Russian
3. Making the natives worship him and perform "unspeakable acts"
c. Quote: "This is the reason why I affirm that Kurtz was a remarkable man. He had
something to say. He said it. . . . He had summed up—he had judged. ‘The horror!’ He
was a remarkable man."
d. Even after seeing all that, Marlow is blinded by the reputation that came before Kurtz
and chooses to ignore his blatantly evil actions
e. Ideals and charisma overrule true characteristics
IV. Conclusion
a. Marlow's view of Kurtz proves that charisma and a good reputation are more powerful
than actual deeds.
Alison Saum
AP English IV – 2nd Period / B-Day
April 23, 2013
HOD Review Outline
Prompt: 1994. In some works of literature, a character who appears briefly, or does not appear at
all, is a significant presence. Choose a novel or play of literary merit and write an essay in which
you show how such a character functions in the work. You may wish to discuss how the
character affects action, theme, or the development of other characters. Avoid plot summary.
Thesis: Kurtz’s presence throughout the novel and appearance in the end cause Marlow to
discover the ever present darkness that is often present but hidden by organized society.
Topic Sentence 1: When Marlow first begins his journey, before ever meeting Kurtz, he
experiences the difference physical darkness and light.
A. Marlow sees the “black shapes, crouched, lay, sat between the trees leaning against the
trunks” which he views as criminals at this point in the story (14).
1. Comes from the light of the day, where he sees organization and power of the white
people and enters into the darkness of the forest where he witnesses death and
helplessness. At this point, however, he does not recognize it as the effects of the
power hungry white man.
B. “Just at that time, the manager was the only man supposed to have any right to candles.”
(20)
1. As Marlow continues to move deeper into the forest of the foreign land at the Central
Station, darkness becomes less physical and more like a living thing.
a. Lives in the men who walk around all day slandering one another’s reputations to
try to get a job, comes alive at night when he is on his boat
b. The whole setting seems devoid of light as Kurtz’s name becomes known to
Marlow
Topic Sentence 2: Journey to Kurtz and initially meeting Kurtz brings a new perception of
darkness to Marlow.
A. Marlow observes the savages from the boat and wishes he could join them
1. Marlow himself feels a connection to the land where no rules exist and where human
nature is not impacted by standards of a society, laws of a government, or even a
person’s perception of himself.
B. In the hunt for Kurtz, the setting becomes more foggy and dangerous to explore
1. “The earth seemed unearthly” (32)
C. “The thing was to know what he belonged to, how many powers of darkness claimed
him for their own.” (44)
1. Marlow recognizes a spiritual, rather than physical, darkness for the first time when
he meets Kurtz. The man whom he has been accustomed to hearing praised for his
duties, he now sees as controlled by natural forces. He is without rules and morals,
and lives as he wants, completely taken over by desires for wealth and power.
2. Kurtz’s belief: “must necessarily appear to them [savages] in the nature of
supernatural beings”
Topic Sentence: Kurtz’s power over the natives and his draw to the forest reveals the darkness of
the human spirit to Marlow which is present in almost every person and hidden by rules and
morals.
A. “I seemed at one bound to have been transported into some lightless region of subtle
horrors, where pure, uncomplicated savagery was a positive relief, being something that
had a right to exist – obviously—in the sunshine.” (53)
1. Upon hearing that the natives crawl to Kurtz, Marlow is disgusted, yet he can
continue to look at the heads of rebellious natives upon the fence.
2. Some dark, sick natural element of the human spirit exists where people are willing to
give themselves up to crawl toward those who place themselves above others. People
learn from society, not from natural human instinct to take charge of their own lives.
B. “And I remember I confounded the beat of the drum with the beating of my heart, and
was pleased at its calm regularity.” (60)
1. Chasing after Kurtz, Marlow hears the drums of the natives and hears it as the
beating of the heart of the forest- the heart of utter and complete darkness which
Kurtz is drawn toward.
2. Marlow has somewhat of a revelation that Kurtz has been lost to this nature, that it
will be difficult to put this man back into the constraints of society which fight off the
darkness of the human spirit in order to maintain order
C. Marlow cannot bring himself to tell Kurtz’s love how he died and what he had really
become
1. Allows her to maintain the image of the Kurtz in society, not the Kurtz in nature and
darkness
Conclusion: By the end of the novel, Marlow’s experiences with Kurtz and his ivory business
reveal to him the natural darkness of the world which is covered up by the rules and morals of
societies.