Kurtz

Mr. Kurtz is a central fictional character in Joseph Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness. A trader of ivory in Africa and commander of a trading post, he monopolises his position as a demigod among native Africans. Kurtz meets with the protagonist, Marlow, who returns him to the coast via steamboat. Kurtz, whose reputation precedes him, impresses Marlow strongly, and during the return journey Marlow is witness to Kurtz's final moments. The character of Kurtz has been open to literary discussion since Heart of Darkness was published in 1902. It was the direct inspiration for the Kurtz character in Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 Vietnam War film Apocalypse Now, itself based on the novella. Kurtz is an ivory trader, sent by a shadowy Belgian...