I'll be lucky if someone replies for once.

This is my essay prompt. IT's due Monday.:flare:

"" In some works of literature, a character who appears briefly, or who does not appear at all, is a significant presence. Choose a novel/play of literary merit and write an essay in which you show ho such a character affects, action, theme or the development of other characters. Avoid plot summary"

This is what I've done so far, and it's ****. It's only 325 words, I need 750. Why do I keep posting. Sorry.:sick:



Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is a dark and mysterious tale, with complex themes and characters. One of the major characters of this tale, Kurtz, does not appear until the near-end the story. Yet, he has a significant presence and manages to remain in the mind of the reader, by influencing the development of characters, through a conflict that involves a conspiracy within the Company that he is involved in, and also because of the many personalities he appears to have, which confuses the reader about his true identity.
Marlow, the protagonist of Heart of Darkness, becomes most influenced by Kurtz through the various stories he hears about him, which eventually leads Marlow to be affiliated with him. Marlow first hears of Kurtz when speaking to the chief accountant, who refers to Kurtz as a ‘very remarkable man’ [pg 55]. During this time, Marlow’s interest in Kurtz grows, and from this point, continues to have conversations about him with several people – the general manager, the brick maker and the Russian trader. The general manager sees Kurtz as ‘an exceptional man, of the greatest importance to they Company” [pg 59]. He becomes obsessed with Kurtz, yet denies it: “now and then I would give some thought to Kurtz. I wasn’t very interested in him. No. Still, I was curious to see whether this man…would climb to the top after all and how he would set about his work there” [pg 69]. Kurtz is seen as someone unique, someone special, especially to the Russian trader. Through his words, it is obvious that the Russian is like a disciple of Kurtz. Although Kurtz once tried to shoot the Russian, the Russian did not leave him and stayed by his side. “I gave him the ivory. What did I care! But I didn’t clear out. No, no. I couldn’t leave him!” [pg 101]. Even when Marlow accuses Kurtz of being mad, the Russian denies it, which shows his dedication. Even after Kurtz’ death, Marlow




....it's ****...am I doing it right...how should I continue..I don't even know what I'm writing about. God, I'm **** at English. :bawling:

Hello Castaway, You have given yourself several things to write about. Now you just have to develop them.

Consider writing a paragraph each about the general manager, the brick maker and the Russian trader. Why is the general manager obsessed yet in denial? Why is the Russian trader obsessed yet will not leave even though his life is endangered by Kurtz? You fail to mention the brick maker specifically.

That's four paragraphs right there bringing you to your final paragraph where you need to tell your reader what it all means and what this says about us and our relationship with our own 'heart of darkness.'

Good luck. You have it in you, and remember that no writing and no learning ever takes place without some pain! :)

lol I didn't do it that way, I was focusing on Kurtz only:


Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is a dark and mysterious tale, with complex themes and characters. One of the major characters of this tale, Kurtz, does not appear until the near-end of the story. Yet, he has a significant presence and manages to remain in the mind of the reader. He influences the development of characters, and he appears to have many personalities, which confuses the reader about Kurtz’ true identity and also another significance is that he is involved in a minor conflict which is hidden in the story.


Marlow, the protagonist of Heart of Darkness, becomes most influenced by Kurtz through the various stories he hears about him, which eventually leads Marlow to be affiliated with him. Marlow first hears of Kurtz when speaking to the chief accountant, who refers to Kurtz as a ‘very remarkable man’ [pg 55]. During this time, Marlow’s interest in Kurtz grows, and from this point, continues to have conversations about him with several people – the general manager and the brick maker. The general manager sees Kurtz as ‘an exceptional man, of the greatest importance to they Company” [pg 59]. Soon, Marlow becomes obsessed with Kurtz, yet denies it: “now and then I would give some thought to Kurtz. I wasn’t very interested in him. No. Still, I was curious to see whether this man…would climb to the top after all and how he would set about his work there” [pg 69]. Unfortunately for Marlow, allying himself with Kurtz makes him disliked by the Company’s representatives. When Marlow calls Kurtz a remarkable man, the general manager returns “he was” [pg 107] and turns his back on Marlow. Furthermore, by becoming intrigued with Kurtz; he focuses his hopes on a man that could be nothing like the great legends that surround him. When Marlow finally meets Kurtz, he realizes the wilderness has taken effect on Kurtz, and that as a consequence of following Kurtz, it has affected him also, “I had – for my sins, I suppose – to go through the ordeal of looking into it myself. No eloquence could have been so withering to one’s belief in mankind as his final burst of sincerity. He struggled with himself too. I saw it, - I heard it” [pg 112]. Even after Kurtz’ death, Marlow is still haunted by him.

In addition, the mystery of Kurtz is his identity. Even though he only appears for a brief moment in the story, we do not really know who the real Kurtz is. Every person Marlow approaches has a different perception of him. To most people at the Company, he is ‘remarkable’, especially to the Russian trader. Through his words, it is obvious that he is like a disciple of Kurtz’. Although Kurtz once tried to shoot the Russian, the Russian did not leave him and stayed by his side. “I gave him the ivory. What did I care! But I didn’t clear out. No, no. I couldn’t leave him!” [pg 101]. Even when Marlow accuses Kurtz of being mad, the Russian denies it, which shows his dedication. But, when Marlow returns to Brussels after Kurtz’ death, each person he talks to has a completely contrasting view of Kurtz. His cousin calls him a ‘musician’, and the journalist says “He could have been a splendid leader of an extreme party” [pg 119]. Even Marlow himself does not know the true Kurtz. The only side Marlow observes is the dark side, the side that has turned evil, selfish and most of all, mad – as a result of imperialism.

Moreover, Kurtz’ power is highly influential, and the majority of the Company are afraid of him. The power that Kurtz has at the Company is envied by many, and they are secretly planning to take over. The delay that Marlow has in his journey to Kurtz is intentional. When the manager and brick maker find out that Marlow’s steamer has broken down, the manager reveals that he would like to ‘take advantage of this unfortunate accident.’[pg 60]. When Marlow realizes that they are conspiring, he uses Kurtz’ power to his advantage. Marlow tells the brick maker, who is upset about Kurtz’ arrival because he planned to be assistant manager, that he is allied with Kurtz and has influence in Europe. This brings the brick maker to help Marlow receive the rivets that he demands for, all because he is forced to believe that Kurtz is behind Marlow.




or something like that I'm going to edit it and add a conclusion in a minute...


thanks for replying, I should stop posting threads like these