Heart of Darkness Versus Surfacing: Madness Taking Over

In Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and Surfacing by Margaret Atwood, there is a definite element of madness in both Kurtz and the narrator. The madness within these two novels is a means of changing both people. It changes them into something they're not, but it also makes them realize the truth about themselves. This madness can either be why the quest took place in the first place, as is the case in Surfacing, or it can be the result of the quest, as in Heart of Darkness. Whichever case it is though, this madness changes these people to something they're not, and it is these changes that bring out the truth.

In Heart of Darkness, Kurtz develops madness during and throughout his quest. Although Kurtz was once known as one of the best ivory hunters in Africa, he gradually fell victim to losing his humanity. Kurtz's madness may have been caused for many reasons. He obviously lost touch with humanity by being out in the jungle for so long. All he began to care about was ivory and owning it. I believe he became greedy with his need to own all the ivory; "He declared he would shoot me unless I gave him the ivory and then cleared out of the country, because he could do so, and had a fancy for it, and there was nothing on earth to prevent him killing whom he jolly well pleased."(pg. 51) Anyone who enjoys shooting others just for the pleasure of it is mad, besides taking it for granted and abusing the power. I believe therefore that Kurtz lost touch with his humanity by encountering the realities of life and death within the jungle. The extended length of time he was out in the jungle obviously had an effect on his mind, and therefore caused him to loose sight of right and wrong. The first of the basic human principles to go, it wasn't long before his other levels of humanity began to dissipate.