HOD: section 4

We start out part 2 with Marlow overhearing a conversation concerning Kurtz. The manager and his uncle are in talking about how Kurtz is hurting them. He is trying to take the manager’s position. His lack of care about the ivory production makes the two of them want to kill him. Another trader that bothers the two men is also discussed and they decide his is to be hanged. This proves that they mean business and Kurtz’s life is in danger. Whether they kill him or his sickness does, Marlow feels the need to take action.

Marlow’s steamer is finally fixed and he rounds up a crew to go and save Kurtz in the Darkness. However, the manager and some pilgrims go with him. The interesting thing here is that the black vs. white theme is confusing. The natives (cannibals) and whites are mixed together as one crew. Marlow seems to actually find a connection with the natives, and through this the black being evil is sort of set aside. I’m not entirely sure where this will lead to, but I imagine that farther in the novel we will see shift in black and white against each other.

There are no real narration changes in this section (except for a bit when Marlow is listening to Uncle and the Manager), and actually there is not that much action happening. I do expect it to become more action filled in the next section as Marlow gets closer to Kurtz.