Two Ways of Going Wrong

Douglas Kerr's article is actually quite interesting. What I found to be particularly compelling was his connection between Kurtz and the Magistrate. I wouldn't have thought to connect these characters before, but Kerr gave quite a good argument for the connection. He claimed that they are both transgressors of the Empire. This is perfectly true. The difference is the, for lack of a better word, ending. Kurtz essentially goes mad in the wilderness, taking advantage of the native people even through violence, shown through things such as the heads on top of the post that Marlow sees. The Magistrate on the other hand, is not violent to the natives, but causes a disturbance when he calls Joll out on the treatment of the barbarians. They both also take an interest in the wilderness through a woman. The Magistrate's attraction to the barbarian girl is partially do to her foreigness. It is through this girl that he really starts to be able to experience the injustice and cruelty of the Empire. For Kurtz, it is the wilderness itself that is his lady. This wilderness, however, is personified in the black woman. He essentially doesn't care for her, but for what she represents. Although they are both transgressors, the reader views the Magistrate as good and Kurtz as bad. However, this is what makes the analogy particularly interesting. A transgressor or their actions are not always good or always bad. It is not set in stone, but rather a relevent concept to the time, setting, and common way of thought.