Heart of Darkness Pt. 3

After Kurtz is found sick in the jungle, the Russian trader explains some of the memories, good and bad, that he has with Kurtz and also explains that he doesn't have any medicine or medical supplies to help cure him and that Kurtz has been left behind and abandoned by the Company that he gave so much for. The natives rush out at the group, but Kurtz calmly explains to them that he is sick and they let them pass. Marlow leaves the room in which Kurtz has been placed and ends up meeting his mistress, who is worried that she had something to do with his illness. There is yelling from inside the room and it is found that Kurtz believes people just want his ivory, rather than to actually help him. The manager comes on deck and tells Marlow that Kurtz isn't in the right mind to run the Company and that there is nothing he can do but remove him from his post. Marlow defends Kurtz and by doing so alienates himself from the entire Company. After this the Russian trader tells Marlow that Kurtz actually ordered the attack on the steamer to fake his own death, and Marlow tells the Russian trader that there has been talk of possibly hanging him. Kurtz then decides to leave during the night, and Marlow is looking for him. Marlow catches up to him just outside the native's village and ends up guilting Kurtz into coming back. The steamer departs the next day amidst chaos involving the pilgrims and Kurtz' s mistress. On their way back to civilization the steamer breaks down, and unfortunately Marlow is becoming sicker and sicker by the day. Because of this delay, Kurtz knows he will probably not make it back to Europe and gives Marlow a packet of papers so that the manager cannot destroy everything he has worked for. Mr. Kurtz dies not long after yelling, "The horror! The horror!" Marlow then leaves Africa and returns to Brussells, still recovering from his illness. Marlow returns most of the papers to Kurtz's family and then visits Kurtz's wife. She asks him what his last words were, he lies and tells her it was her name. She was certain that that's what it was going to be.

I thought the final part of the story really seemed to give Kurtz more credit than he deserved. His wife's reaction seemed to more immortalize and idolize him more than should have been. You actually seem to see Kurtz as a human being though as he became sicker and closer to death. By doing this, it actually ties the story up in a nice ending, as this imposing character has turned into just a regular human being.