Appearance of Mr. Kurtz

In Heart of Darkness, the reader is told about Mr. Kurtz from the very beginning. He is built up to be a mysterious ivory trader deep within the jungle. He is revered by the company men for his impressive work, but, at the same time, they mistrust him. Despite the strong feelings the company men feel towards this man, none are able to provide details about him, and so he remains a question in the mind of reader until near the end of the novel. When Marlow finally reaches Kurtz' camp, he is met by a young trader who is obsessed with Kurtz. In his mind, Kurtz is a genius who could not speak a wrong word, but the trader also reveals that Kurtz is ill. This is the way the reader is finally introduced to Mr. Kurtz, a frail, underweight, bald, dying man. He looks nothing like the strong conquerer of the jungle that is expected. In the end, his physical appearance and the one the character comes to expect say a lot about the character. He uses words and ideas to build himself up and sway people towards supporting him when, in the end, his motives are "hollow," weak, and malicious.