Question

Marlowe describes Kurtz as "hollow at the core" because:

a) Kurtz lacks intelligence and wit
b) Kurtz has no moral or ethical values
c) Kurtz is physically emaciated
d) Kurtz lacks a sense of humanity

Answer 1

Marlowe describes Kurtz as 'hollow at the core' because Kurtz has no moral or ethical values, which is reflected in his behavior that exhibits a lack of humanity and the criticism of colonial attitudes towards Africa by Chinua Achebe.

Step-by-step explanation:

An explanation for this characterization is that Kurtz, who is depicted as a man of great potential and intellect, ultimately succumbs to the corrupting influence of power and is revealed to lack the fundamental aspects of humanity such as compassion, restraint, and morality. The phrase "hollow at the core" implies that, despite his outward appearances and capabilities, Kurtz is empty where it matters most – in his soul or ethical center.

This idea is further amplified by Chinua Achebe's criticism of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, where he argues that the novella dehumanizes Africans and thus reveals a moral void not only in the character of Kurtz but also in the European colonial ideology. Achebe's comments underscore the absences within both Kurtz and the broader colonial enterprise which claims to bring 'civilization' but instead brings exploitation and dehumanization.