Heart of Darkness Chapter 2

At the Central Station, continued. What does Marlow learn by overhearing the manager and his uncle? What do they say about Kurtz and what is happening upriver? How does Marlow respond to this talk about Kurtz? What views did Kurtz hold about the nature of the colonial project? He finds out that the manager dislikes Kurtz and that Kurtz has power in the administration. Kurtz is all alone up country. The manager and his uncle say Kurtz sends lots of ivory of the best type. He also learned that made the trip to deliver the ivory but he turned back halfway and returned alone. He believed that every station should be a light towards civilization and each post a center for teaching.

What happens to the Eldorado Exploring Expedition and how does Marlow respond? All the donkeys had died. Marlow believed that the other animals had died too. He says that he really does not care because he is more interested in meeting Kurtz.

The Journey Up the River (105 -on). How does Marlow describe the river? Why does this cause him to insult his companions on the boat in the Thames and thus to create another break in the narrative? How does Marlow go on to describe the journey as "we penetrated deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness" (108)? Marlow describes the river as a trip to mystery, where the wild animals are all over and the trees cover everything. He says that as they move on, he feels more far away from what he thought was life. Marlow said they are in a journey to the unknown and he calls it darkness. He says he will find Kurtz in the darkness and in a place that seems prehistoric. He said there were no memories; it was like a land that was damned. Marlow then insults his companions again because he hears one of them laugh and he asks them if they think that he went to the shore to howl and dance like the natives.

Approaching the Inner Station (110). What does Marlow find when the boat stops for wood? What is the value of the book, according to Marlow? What does he find written in it? He finds a book inside the hut. It was called An Inquiry into Some Points of Seamanship. Marlow says that it was written decades ago but the person who wrote it had put a lot into it. He sees some writings in codes.

What happens the next morning in the fog? How does Marlow describe the cry (113)? How do the responses of the whites and the blacks differ? How does the head-man of the African crew respond? Look closely at how Marlow responds to the idea that the Africans are hungry? What attribute does he find in the Africans that he does not find in the whites? There is a cry coming from the fog. Marlow describes it as if the fog had screamed from all sides at the same time. The whites are really scared while the blacks are just talking. The head-man of the crew asks Marlow to catch him and that they will eat him. Marlow starts to think if they were having enough supplies. He sees the natives surviving on some uncooked dough while the whites have canned food.

What is the effect of having Marlow say "The approach to this Kurtz [. . .] was beset by as many dangers as though he had been an enchanted princess sleeping in a fabulous castle"? Like in the fairy tales, Marlow suggests that getting to the princess is really complicated and that there are a lot of obstacles to guard the princess as there are a lot of obstacles to guard Kurtz.

What happens as the boat approaches the inner station (120)? How do the pilgrims respond to the attack? What does the helmsman do and what is the result? The natives attack the boat. The blacks in the boat try to avoid the arrows. The helmsman steers the boat but then starts shooting. A spear then flew into his ribs and he fell down dead.

Kurtz Interlude (123-130). Why is Marlow so disappointed by the idea that Kurtz is dead? What things come to his mind as he thinks of meeting Kurtz and what followed? Pay special attention to the "girl" and the "lie" for future reference. What did Kurtz look like? What is meant by his reference to "My Intended"? What seems to be going on in Marlow's statement that "The wilderness [. . .] had [. . .] sealed his soul to its own by the inconceivable ceremonies of some devilish initiation"? What sort of picture of Kurtz do we get from this interlude on him? Why is Marlow so bothered by Kurtz? He is sad because he believes Kurtz is dead and he thinks that he went all the way down there for nothing. Marlow says Kurtz is bald and that he looks dead. His “Intended” was his beloved girl. Marlow is trying to say that the wilderness changed Kurtz and made him be different, soulless. Marlow is bothered by Kurtz because he cannot forget him because he feels he was worth the life they risked trying to save him.

What is the report and what does Marlow think of it? What is the argument of the report? How is the report modified by the handwritten statement at the end? What sort of dancing is Marlow talking about? What have we learned about Kurtz so far? Why does Marlow also think again about the dead helmsman? A society had asked Kurtz to write down the report for future plans. He first had said that the way was to civilize them then he wanted to exterminate them. Kurtz organized dancing at midnight with the natives where he was even offered human meat. Kurtz wanted to educate the brutes and to civilize them. Marlow says he was sort of a partner for months for him. He says that he had no restraints.

What does Marlow see as he looks at the inner station through his binoculars? Keep this description in mind. At the top of a hill he sees a house. This house is around a lot of high grass and a dense forest. The house had a fence but not anymore. It now has holes in the roof. A man is waiting for them.

Who is the first person Marlow meets? Why is he describes as "a harlequin"?. Is this the sort of person we (or Marlow) would expect to meet here? He sees a very funny man. He is described as a harlequin because he has blue, red and yellow patches sewed onto his clothes. It is weird to find someone like that in a place like that one because he seems to have no worries and to be happy.

He says that the natives do not want Kurtz to leave and that is why they attacked the boat. He says Kurtz opened his mind.