Marlow sits on the deck of his steamboat, slowly drifting off to sleep. He hears the Manager of the expedition and his Uncle conversing. They are talking about Kurtz. The men mention that Kurtz is alone and once the manager sent him an assistant, but the assistant came back with a note saying, “Clear this poor devil out of the country, and don’t bother sending more of that sort. I had rather be alone than have the kind of men you can dispose of with me.” (Page 45) Now all that the manager receives is Ivory of the best sort from Kurtz. Marlow also hears that Kurtz is now ill. His health is no longer in very good condition. The manager also mentions to have a wandering trader hung because the manager is no longer happy with his work. The uncle says that, “The climate may do away with this difficulty for you” (Page 45), which means that the manager might not have to deal with Kurtz if he is killed by tropical disease. Marlow is stunned by the way that the two are conversing.
Marlow begins a journey to Kurtz station. A stack of wood is left by a Russian trader fifty miles from Kurtz station. The trader is a man that Marlow has overhead the Manager complaining about. After a cry is heard at the place where the ship is stopped for the night, the men onboard prepare for an attack. Marlow is told be a native man a “Cannibal” as they are referred to in the book that he wants to eat the voices in the distances. He realizes that the men are starving and the only food they had was throw overboard by the “Pilgrims” (traders). The manager gives permission for Marlow to continue through the fog, even though he earlier said to stop because the water was not safe. Marlow refuses to continue as he does not believe that the Natives will attack. The “Pilgrims” then open fire after seeing they are surrounded by natives. Marlow scares the attackers away by sounding the steamer whistle. The helmsmen dies by Marlow’s feet, instead of feeling any empathy, Marlow is disgusted by the dead body. Marlow believes that Kurtz is dead because of the Native attacks.
Marlow later throws the helmsman body overboard. The pilgrims are upset that they did not give him a proper burials and the cannibals are upset that they lost a possible meal. Marlow blames the helmsmen’s death on the helmsmen’s impatience. If he hadn’t shot at the men in the bushes, he would not be dead now. As the inner station comes into view (Kurtz station) the pilgrims and Marlow are happy that it is still intact, as they expected it to be destroyed by the natives.
At the shore, Marlow is greeted by the Russian trader. Everyone is fine in the inner station and the Russian trader believes that the natives attacked because they don’t want Kurtz to leave. Everyone has been apotheosizing Kurtz existence.
This photo is an expression of freedom. There is no way of the natives being able to communicate with the white men. They are beaten, abused and forced into slaveries. They have no way of defending themselves because the White Men will simply not hear what they say. This photo is representative of discrimination, freedom, slavery, violence and silence. All factors that are represented in Heart of Darkness.
