A White Lie in the Heart of Darkness Essay -- Essays Papers

A White evasiveness in the Heart of Darkness He cried in a whisper at some image, at some vision, he cried out twice, a cry that was no more than a breath The horror The horror (Conrad, Heart of Darkness, pg112)1. After returning to Brussels, Marlow pays a visit to Kurtz intended and brings these final words of Kurtz with him. When asked to reveal Kurtz last declaration, Marlow offers this The last word he pronounced was your name. (Heart, pg123). He lies. In this situation, with the possibility existing of inflicting severe emotional damage on an already grieving soul, should Marlow have lied? Of course, the answer is neither simple nor short, and depends severely on who is asked. The most relevant perspective naturally comes from Marlow himself. Marlow makes his feelings about lying clear early in his adventure. You know I hate, detest, and cant await a lie, not because I am straighter than the rest of us, but simply because it appals me. There is a taint of death, a flavour of mortality in lies, which is precisely what I hate and detest in the world what I want to forget. It makes me miserable and sick (Heart, pp49-50). Marlow doesnt hold much back here. He believes that lies are what is wrong with the world. That said, it seems that a third-person Marlow would severely disapprove of his actions, and would believe that he should have told the truth. This becomes even more evident after a glance at Marlows reaction after he does lie. It seemed to me that the house would collapse before I could escape, that the heavens would fall upon my head. (Heart, pg123). Marlow obviously sees his actions as in err, and is waiting for his punishment from above. ... ...(see Sources).2 This quote, and all other quotes from Immanuel Kants article, On the Supposed Right to Lie because of Philanthropic Concerns, comes from the third edition of the James. W. Ellington translation. The citation be follow from the section numbers in that edition (see Sources).Sources Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. London Penguin Books, 1995.Hume, David. A Treatise of Human Nature. Oxford Clarendon Press, 1978.Kant, Immanuel. Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals (Grundlegung zur Metaphysikder Sitten). Translated by James W. Ellington. Cambridge Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 1993.Kant, Immanuel. On the Supposed Right to Lie because of Philanthropic Concerns(Uber ein vermeintes Recht aus Menschenliebe zu lugen). Translated by James W. Ellington. Cambridge Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 1993.