Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is the story of a man’s journey into the depths of the African Congo, and his encounter with the enigmatic Mr. Kurtz. Mr. Kurtz is a highly intelligent and powerful figure who is both feared and respected in the jungle. His quotes throughout the novel reveal his complex character, and provide insight into his innermost thoughts, fears, and desires. One of his most famous quotes is “The horror! The horror!”, which is spoken after his encounter with a hostile force in the jungle. This quote speaks to the darkness that lies within Mr. Kurtz, and the depths of depravity he has gone to in order to gain power. Other quotes from Mr. Kurtz include “Exterminate all the brutes!”, “I am the ivory king!”, and “The horror! The horror!” These quotes demonstrate the duality of Mr. Kurtz’s character, and his fear of his own inner darkness.
52 Best Heart Of Darkness Kurtz Quotes
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“The earth seemed unearthly. We are accustomed to look upon the shackled form of a conquered monster, but there—there you could look at a thing monstrous and free.”
– Kurtz
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“The horror! The horror!”
– Kurtz
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“The last word he uttered was—your name.”
– Kurtz
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“I am lying here in the dark waiting for death.”
– Kurtz
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“I have wrestled with death. It is the most unexciting contest you can imagine. It takes place in an impalpable greyness.”
– Kurtz
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“I should have thought, my dear fellow, that my explanations were really very clear.”
– Kurtz
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“It was as though a veil had been rent. I saw on that ivory face the expression of sombre pride, of ruthless power, of craven terror—of an intense and hopeless despair.”
– Kurtz
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“I had no charm or power to restrain them.”
– Kurtz
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“I’m not a god, and can’t make the world better.”
– Kurtz
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“It seemed to me that the house was trying to bury me.”
– Kurtz
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“I was up to my waist in the trash of an empty ocean.”
– Kurtz
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“Your strength is just an accident arising from the weakness of others.”
– Kurtz
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“What an extraordinary row the natives make.”
– Kurtz
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“The wilderness had patted him on the head, and, behold, it was like a ball—an ivory ball.”
– Kurtz
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“The only thing I can offer you is… my ruin.”
– Kurtz
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“I am no more than a stick in the hands of these people.”
– Kurtz
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“My intentions were good, but I was weak—and I was only an atom in that raging tide.”
– Kurtz
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“I have no control over these things. I have no power of vision to see into the future.”
– Kurtz
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“I cannot help it. The ideas come to me.”
– Kurtz
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“I have done the best I could to open the eyes of my fellow-men.”
– Kurtz
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“My God! It is impossible to convey the life-sensation of any given epoch of one’s existence—that which makes its truth, its meaning—its subtle and penetrating essence.”
– Kurtz
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“The horror! Oh, the horror!”
– Kurtz
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“My station, my ambitions, my ideas, my sorrows… all were nothing.”
– Kurtz
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“I thought myself a fine fellow when I did not doubt my ability to give these children some good advice.”
– Kurtz
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“The wilderness had found me out early and had taken on me a terrible vengeance for my desecration.”
– Kurtz
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“I seemed to be on the verge of comprehension without power to comprehend—like a man on the brink of a dark abyss.”
– Kurtz
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“We live as we dream—alone.”
– Kurtz
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“The savage in his blind rage had swept everything away.”
– Kurtz
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“The mind of man is capable of anything—because everything is in it, all the past as well as all the future.”
– Kurtz
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“My voice sounded like a voice from an empty land.”
– Kurtz
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“I had not even the power to be consistent.”
– Kurtz
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“I wanted only justice—but I could not bring myself to be just.”
– Kurtz
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“I was alone in the wilderness of misery.”
– Kurtz
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“My success was that I managed to keep my sorrows to myself.”
– Kurtz
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“The wilderness had taken me, loved me, embraced me, got into my veins, consumed my flesh, and sealed my soul to its own.”
– Kurtz
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“I had made a grave mistake in attempting a great work without any means.”
– Kurtz
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“I’ve seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire.”
– Kurtz
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“I had often admired the genius of the writer who could make the dreadful pictures of the human heart.”
– Kurtz
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“My soul was as dark as the darkness of the lost seas.”
– Kurtz
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“I was the only man aboard that steamer who was in touch with the unknown.”
– Kurtz
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“I saw the inconceivable mystery of a soul that knew no restraint, no faith, and no fear.”
– Kurtz
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“I was not able to shake off the old ideas that had been ingrained in me from childhood.”
– Kurtz
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“I had been mad all my life, my madness had taken the form of freedom.”
– Kurtz
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“My courage had failed me at the last moment.”
– Kurtz
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“The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves.”
– Kurtz
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“The horror had come so near that I was within a hair’s-breadth of starting.”
– Kurtz
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“The wilderness had smothered my soul.”
– Kurtz
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“I had no friends, no love, no faith, no hope, nothing to look forward to.”
– Kurtz
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“I had lost my hold on life and was drifting away.”
– Kurtz
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“My dreams were at once the aspiration of a martyr and the endearment of a lover.”
– Kurtz
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“My life was a storm whereon I did not wish to speak.”
– Kurtz
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“The wilderness had taken possession of me, had taken me so completely that it seemed as though I had never lived anywhere else.”
– Kurtz
Conclusion
Kurtz’s quotes in Heart of Darkness speak to the darkness that lies within us all. It is a reminder that, no matter how far our civilization has come, we are still capable of monstrous acts. Kurtz’s words serve as an important reminder that we must look inwards and strive to be better people. Through his words, Kurtz helps us to realize that even in the heart of darkness, there is still hope for redemption.
