Question

“I saw on that ivory face the expression of sombre pride, of ruthless power, of craven terror—of an intense and hopeless despair. . . . 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!’” Which political and existential condition can be inferred from the above passage in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness?

• A. The degeneration of the corrupted white man recognizing the moral evil of imperialism
• B. The state of shock on witnessing the economic disaster and commercial catastrophe suffered by the unnamed Belgian company
• C. The sense of an ending due to the imminent failure of a new nation state
• D. The fear of an emerging apocalypse caused by an ecological disaster

Hint:

In Heart of Darkness, Conrad explores the moral and existential collapse of European colonizers in Africa, particularly through the character of Kurtz, symbolizing the devastating effects of imperialism.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Context of the quote.

The passage is from Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, where Marlon Kurtz, a character embodying the horrors of European imperialism, reflects on his own moral decay. His cry, “The horror! The horror!” symbolizes the realization of the brutal, dehumanizing effects of imperialism, especially in the African colonies.

Step 2: Interpretation of the quote.

The passage reflects Kurtz’s moral degeneration due to his involvement in the exploitation and corruption of the indigenous people, acknowledging the “horror” of his actions and the system of imperialism itself.