Heart of Darkness Versus Apocalypse Now The Death of...

Heart of Darkness Versus Apocalypse Now: The Death of Kurtz Joseph Conrad wrote Heart of Darkness to disguise his disapproval of European imperialism in the Congo. He describes the chaos and savagery found in the Congo to convince Europeans that they should stay out of Africa. Francis Ford Coppola made Apocalypse Now to disguise his disapproval of American involvement in Vietnam. He depicts the merciless slaughter of countless Vietnamese to show Americans that the United States does more harm than good in Vietnam. In each instance, the creator’s country claims one goal, but accomplishes something entirely different when in battle. Marlow and Willard face the corruption, personified by Kurtz, differently, but both Heart of Darkness†¦show more content†¦In Heart of Darkness, Marlow recovers Kurtz body but not his mind, so he dies slowly, on the way back to Europe, but in Apocalypse Now, Willard accomplishes his mission by killing Kurtz directly, slashing him at the same time the natives slash the bull. Conrad juxtaposes Marlow’s mental deviation with Kurtz’s corporal decay in order to show that corruption spreads if not tamed. Willard’s sanity also deviates while under the hypnotic spell of Kurtz, but Coppola shows that temptation can be overcome by allowing Willard to break free of Kurtz’s spell and quell his evil reign forever. When isolated, a corrupt heart withers away and shrivels up, as in Heart of Darkness, but when confronted, a dark heart will fall at the hands of justice, as in Apocalypse Now. Conrad’s Congo River symbolizes the journey Marlow’s heart made into darkness, and Coppola’s bull symbolizes Willard’s submersion into darkness. Marlow comes out of the Congo wiser and more aware of â€Å"the horror† that resides in all men, but Willard leaves Vietnam residing in â€Å"horror† himself. Conrad shows that darkness can be defeated by light, but Coppola sho ws that darkness can only be replaced by more darkness. Marlow resists the temptation to kill Kurtz and preserves his sanity by giving up the darkness while Willard succumbs to the darkness by executing Kurtz and, with him, his own innocence. Conrad’s Kurtz dies in a small room aboard aShow MoreRelatedParallels Between Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now1871 Words   |  8 PagesVarious parallels can be drawn when comparing and contrasting Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness and Frank Coppolas Apocalypse Now, while taking into consideration Heart of Darkness is a novella and Apocalypse Now is a film. 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