Of Ivory and Eros: How Kurtz Was Corrupted by the Congo

Authors

Alexander T. Grey, College of the Holy CrossFollow

Abstract

While much ink has been spilled about the savagery and rawness of Conrad's magnum opus, Heart of Darkness, few scholars have sought to look at the softer side of Kurtz, Marlow, and the cast of characters. This essay attempts to view the work through the lens of love and the Grecian concepts of eros, philia and agape as they apply to Kurtz's tryst and what can be learned about this tormented man in the jungle when love enters the equation.

Recommended Citation

Grey, Alexander T. (2018) "Of Ivory and Eros: How Kurtz Was Corrupted by the Congo," The Criterion: Vol. 2018, Article 1.
Available at: https://crossworks.holycross.edu/criterion/vol2018/iss1/1