Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Heart of Darkness Prompt #5
Kurtz's intended wife and his mistress are about as opposite as he could find. For starters, his intended is the person he planned on spending the rest of his life with. He did not just want to sleep with her, he wanted to start a family with her, be seen in public with her. His mistress on the other hand just began for fun. His mistress is a primitive woman who does not understand social standings or the way society works at that time. She is basically in her own little world. She is powerful, making her own decisions, while Kurtz's fiancee waits on Kurtz hand and foot and would do anything he asked. His intended seemed to be under his spell, but with the mistress she was all powerful. Another obvious difference is their skin. His intended is white, never worked a day in her life. His mistress on the opposite spectrum is dark and used to working hard. His fiancee will probably never get over the loss of Kurtz while his mistress did not even seem to mind him leaving. She just watched him go. It is amazing that the same guy could be with both women.
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Sydney, I also found it odd that he could be with two completely opposite women in every way. I could not tell which one he cared about more because their differences were so intense that he seemed to be intrigued by both. I believe his mistress, however, was more of an outlet for fun and excitement whereas his intended wife was more socially accepted and realistic.
ReplyDeleteKelsie, I disagree. I found the mistress to be more morally acceptable than the Intended. Kurtz wished to escape the confines of civilized life, so he went to the Congo in search of something more. His Intended represented the false facade of modern society and the . Whilst his mistress from the Congo was true and untarnished by societal modern motives. Her beauty and confidence originated from a resplendent estuary of reverential tradition. The Intended satisfied the very intrigue that provoked Kurtz's exodus to the Congo, the Intended however did not. Kurtz’s Intended did not satisfy his yearning for something more real and substantially connected to the human experience. Therefore, the African mistress was much more precious to Kurtz than was his Intended.
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