Heart of Darkness Day 9 (the end)

Marlow goes to see Kurtz’s Intended at the end of the novel. He is uncertain whether his version of Kurtz has any value either as a reflection of reality or as a philosophical form. Marlow declares that he knew Kurtz “‘as well as it is possible for one man to know another.’” The reader easily sees that Marlow’s response is merely an accomplishment, not an affirmation. The reader now understands that Marlow barely knows himself. In addition, the reader can make a connection back to the beginning of the novel: Marlow depicts his experiences to his friends because it creates an implied comparison between the travelers' lives as well as his own. The men, traveling onboard the Nellie, benefit economically from imperialism; however, Marlow has benefited mainly from experience.