Although Joseph Conrad and Thomas Hobbes lived in different times and never had the opportunity to meet, both shared several ideas about human nature while maintaining some differences. in ideologies. Conrad's Heart of Darkness highlights many of these similarities and differences between Conrad's views and the philosophies of Hobbes. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"? Get the original essay Conrad's characterization of Marlow and Kurtz makes these two characters seem like two sides of the Hobbesian philosophy that a society is necessary to controlling people and preventing them from living in a primitive and chaotic state, free from constraints and moral respects. Conrad depicts Marlow, before his departure for the Congo, as a man coming from Great Britain, a rich, organized and structured country, full of “high houses, innumerable windows with Venetian blinds” (Conrad, 1899, p. 13 ). According to this aspect of Hobbes's philosophy, the central government of Western civilization has suppressed Marlow's innate primitive characteristics, and when Marlow reaches the Congo, Conrad depicts him as a confused man, initially having difficulty accepting the fact that the natives and the people of Western civilizations are ultimately all part of the same race, for to Marlow the natives appear more like animals than humans and he reflects on the horrible thought of "the humanity of the natives ] – like yours – the thought of your distant relatives. with this wild and passionate tumult” (Conrad, 1899, p.58). Seeing this wild state of the Congo population is at first a profound surprise to Marlow, but in contrast, Conrad soon indicates that Kurtz, a veteran of the region, adapted to this situation during his stay in the region. . Although Kurtz also spent his days in Western civilization, Conrad characterized his activities to show that his time in the depths of the Congo had a strong impact on him, for "the desert caressed him on the ear, and behold, It was like a bullet.” – an ivory ball; she caressed him, and – lo! – he had withered, he had taken him, loved him, kissed him, entered his veins, consumed his flesh and sealed his soul to his by the inconceivable ceremonies of a diabolical initiation" (Conrad, 1899, p. 79) Far from a central government like that of Britain, the chaotic nature that Hobbes describes in his philosophies arises when Kurtz, surrounded by the wilderness of the non-Westernized Congo, returns to a primitive state. Not only does Conrad reflect this philosophy in. the characters of Marlow and Kurtz, but he also disperses it into less prominent characters who also exhibit this natural state. For example, Conrad mentions a captain called Fresleven who he initially describes as "the gentlest and most silent creature that. ever walked on two legs” (Conrad, 1899, p. 12). Conrad, however, does not further characterize this character in a way that follows this statement – ​​instead, he chooses to state that the captain beat). one of the native chiefs in front of a large crowd until the chief's son speared the captain and chose to kill him. Have Marlow mentally justify this man's action by believing that this act occurred because "he had already been engaged in the noble cause for some years" (Conrad, 1899, p. 12). This mental justification is very much in line with the Hobbesian belief in the importance of authoritative force, for without it the captain acted in a way that went completely against the European description of the captainafter spending a few years in the Congo. . Conrad's depictions of these characters, from Marlow to Fresleven, align with Hobbes's branch of philosophy regarding the nature of humanity, as these characterizations follow this line of thinking: once people move away from under a central government, they will be confronted with primitive transformations such as those which Kurtz and Fresleven faced. Conrad promoted the belief that humans exist in a natural state of internal conflict and war based on their personal interests and desires. The Pilgrims and Kurtz embody this belief as Conrad creates Westernized imperialists who are so obsessed with obtaining this wealth that they exist almost in a state of worship as "the word 'ivory' rang in the air, was murmured, sighed. You would have thought they were praying to him” (Conrad, 1899, p. 35). Conrad centers Kurtz and the Pilgrims' interests on wealth in order to highlight their internal conflicts over ivory. Eventually, their love for ivory transforms them into greedy creatures whose desires for wealth triumph over their moral constraints as the pilgrims exploit the natives for labor and “[wrench] the ivory from the natives” (Conrad, 1899, p 52). Conrad places Kurtz at the head of this wealth-obsessed pack, because Kurtz “[steals] more ivory than all the other agents combined” (Conrad, 1899, p.77), without worrying about the consequences his actions will have. on these. from which he stole. Conrad reflects this internal war, as described by Hobbes, repeatedly by mentioning the consequences of these conflicts due to the desire for wealth. Additionally, Hobbes favored the belief that people are naturally afraid of others invading them and therefore may choose to strike first as an anticipatory defense. Conrad echoes this belief in the interactions between Europeans and the indigenous people who live in the Congo. When Conrad depicts Marlow floating down the river in the fog, he incorporates an attack by the natives even though the Europeans had not directly acted to threaten them because “sticks, little sticks, were flying everywhere – thick: they were whistling.” in front of my nose, falling below me, banging behind me against my wheelhouse” (Conrad, 1899, p.73). In accordance with Hobbesian belief, Conrad chose to have the natives along the river strike against the Europeans first because they feared that the Europeans would cause them more harm if they chose not to strike. After Kurtz's death, Conrad highlights Marlow's mental troubles as he fears "the possibility of a sudden attack and massacre, or something of the sort, which I had seen imminent" (Conrad, 1899, p. Conrad once again incorporates Hobbes's belief by opening a window into Marlow's thoughts about the fear of an attack functioning as a defense. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay An area that Hobbes and Conrad adopted contrasting ideas about women. Hobbes insisted on the equality of all people, especially women, because he believed that everyone faced domination and possessed the ability to potentially dominate others. Conrad, however, portrayed women in Heart of Darkness in a different way than men, observing "how disconnected women are from the truth." perhaps” (Conrad 1899). Conrad implies that women face the harsh reality around them while men face the facts. Instead of forcing Marlow to say Fate Kurtz's true last words which reflect the horror in the Congo, Conrad chooses that..