Marlow tells of his first encounters with Kurtz and the contradicting perceptions people had of him. Conrad uses symbolism, irony, and imagery to convey the ambiance of madness and an ominous atmosphere. Marlow tells his comrades of Kurtz's more than eccentric behavior when interacting with the people around him. Marlow spends nights awake soaking up every thing Kurtz has to say about economics, love, and life in general. The Russian trader and Marlow are unsure of Kurtz's mental state, hearing from others that he is both genius and mad man but always utterly intriguing. Kurtz tells about how ...

• Word Count: 312
• Approx Pages: 1