Greed: A Pathway to Corruption
“The word ‘ivory’ rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed. You would think they were praying to it. A taint of imbecile rapacity blew through it all, like a whiff from some corpse. By Jove! I’ve never seen anything so unreal in my life. And outside, the silent wilderness surrounding this cleared speck on the earth struck me as something great and invincible, like evil or truth, waiting patiently for the passing away of this fantastic invasion” (Conrad 1015).
This excerpt is taken from the novella Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. At this point in his journey, Marlow approaches the Central Station after a twenty-mile walk from the Outer Station. He is greeted by the station’s general manager whose “seal” of a smile invokes uneasiness in Marlow. While he is waiting for his boat to be repaired, Marlow notices some men he describes as “faithless pilgrims bewitched inside a rotten fence” wandering around with their “absurd long staves” (1015). As he nears them, he observes and reflects on their intriguing behavior.
The men’s words, actions, and thoughts revolve around one thing: ivory. To them, ivory has worth beyond its physical value. It is their source of income and a way of advancing in their social life. These valuations are reasonable; however, Marlow observes them viewing the material as an object of worship. Moreover, he can sense an air of aggressive greed residing within “like a whiff from some corpse” (1015). Marlow’s reference to a dead body could be alluding to the multitude of Africans who were killed in this manipulative business. This emphasizes the extreme measures that men will take to acquire this profitable substance. Lastly, he notices that the surrounding nature can only watch and wait silently for this dreadful scheme to end.
Marlow’s observation illustrates the corruption of greed and its power to control humans. Greed stems from selfish desires, and corruption is a way to hastily satisfy those desires. The men in the Congo could have obtained ivory in ethical ways and still profited, but greed induced them to resort to unlawful methods, resulting in their descent into insanity.
How can a person resist the temptation of greed?
If Marlow extended his stay in the Congo, would greed overtake him or would he resist it, considering his experience of its dangers?
I feel like if Marlow had spent more time there, greed would've had a lot more room to take over. I think initially, he would resist it, but as you stated, obtaining ivory was crucial in that time in order to gain status and wealth. Greed was a big temptation, and with no one there to hold them accountable, anyone could fall into that temptation, no matter how good they may be.
ReplyDeleteI think you can resist greed by staying true to your values and remembering the danger of falling into temptation. Marlow knows that well, but I think that if he stayed longer in the Congo he might have started making some wrong choices, but never as bad as Kurtz, because he will never forget this first feeling after seeing his acts.
ReplyDeleteResisting greed may be very difficult for some. For me personally I have never struggled with greed. I have strong morals and I hold steadfast to them. I believe that if he had spent more time in the Congo he would start making choices that didnt line up with his morals.
ReplyDeleteI believe Marlow would be able to resist the power of greed had he stayed for longer. This is because he was much more compassionate towards the people of the Congo than anyone else seemed to be.
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