Please respond to these questions in the character of Marlow. Make sure your answers reflect the text. Be creative and have fun!
1.) Mr. Marlow, what factors led you into the business that you are in?
2.) Why the obsession with finding Kurtz?
3.) If you and Kurtz had met on the streets of London prior to any of this jungle nonsense, how would that meeting have gone? Might a friendship have blossomed?
Well sir, as a young boy, I spent many days and much of my time looking at the globe and wishing that I could go visit different countries and explore many different vast lands. When I got the oppertunity to travel and then take the place of Kurtz, I immediately took advantage of the situation. I wanted to go collect ivory in Africa because it would allow me to explore.... And of course I wanted to finally meet Kurtz.
ReplyDelete1. Well, I have a hard time finding work, so at first, I just took whatever jobs I could find. However, when I was young I really enjoyed looking at maps and thinking about the adventures I could go on when I was older, so ivory was a good business for me to be involved in.
ReplyDelete2. Kurtz's power fascinates me. I was interested in the effect that power has on people, so Kurtz was a perfect person for me to observe. I also felt that I had a lot in common with Kurtz.
3. I honestly don't think anything would have happened. I have less in common with Kurtz than I thought I did, and to be honest, I don't really even like him. I probably would've been like, this guy's a jerk, and walked away.
As a young up and coming gentleman I was naturally attraxted to the adventure that could be found on the high seas. Also there were few other jobs available in my hometown other than writing annoyingly symbolic stories or being the local drunkard. I personally believe that my obbsesion with Marlow is rooted in the fact that he was such an amazing man. In fact the only person who I could compare him to was Cole Liverpool, the star rugby back from my schoolhood days. When either man talked they brought silence to the room, and could charm any woman they met. The only difference between the two was that I believe Cole would have had the physical well being to survive in the jungle. I think there could have been many outcomes if I and Kurtz had met. Of course if I met him in an opium den I probobly wouldn't have been so impressed. In all likelyhood I would have been fascinated by him, possibly becoming good chums with him. This is of course presuming that he didn't get all god complex on me and try to put my head on a stake and feed my inards to a leapord.
ReplyDeleteLet's be real, it's hard to be a stalker and makes lots of money...or any money at all. Therefore, I made the wise decision to try to be just like Kurtz, instead of just creeping on him. I chased after him to steal his things to make him talk to me, and that's how I got to be an "ivoryist".
ReplyDeleteI was obsessed with finding Kurtz for the simple fact that he and I are pretty much the same person. Little does he know (or knew) he and I are twins. I went onto this journey to find the missing half of my being.
I probably would have creeped him out so much. Going up to a person and saying that you are their twin isn't the greatest way to get a person to talk you...unless you want them to get really creeped out and walk away. A friendship may have blossomed if I didn't approach him in such a way, but we all know that I am just simply too much of a creep to do that.
Well, I am glad you asked. I find that I have nothing better to do with my time than to tell stories that sometimes make absolutely no sense. The success I have made through the ivory business is fate really. My long time idol, Mr. Kurtz, just happened to be dying when I found him. his success in the ivory business just happened to be passed onto me when he passed on. God rest his poor soul. At least that is what I tell people. In reality, my success has come from my pure brilliance. I knew of the blood sucking Kurtz when my ship passed by his land. I made it seem like my ship broke down when I really took those rivets out myself. I sent one of the natives off with the poisonous mess I like to call peanuts. I knew Kurtz was allergic to these. I did. Now he is where he is, and I am where I am. Look who is the better man now. God rest his soul. My obsession with Kurtz was only a cover. Yes, I got you all.
ReplyDelete1) Well, I enjoy Africa, colonization, the rainforest and rivets so it semed the perfect job choice.
ReplyDelete2) I have never had a father figure and I admire his strong characteristics. I believe that people are naturally draw to the dark and mysterious things of life, and for me, Kurtz is both.
3) No, I was drawn to Kurtz because of the environment he was in. He would not be nearly as appealing on the streets of London.
1) I craved the thrill of adventure and needed to venture further into my own darkness and the darkness if Africa to find it.
ReplyDelete2) I'm not really sure actually maybe at first I wanted to be like this great man that I heard so much about, but as I discovered more and more about him I feared I would become like him. I became obsessed with him and his story because I wanted to see hownhe lived and how he became thebway he was before his demise. I was afraid my life would take the same path so I looked for ways to guard myself.
3) If I just ran into Kurtz I think I would walk by him without any second thoughts. He really isn't a remarkable man. He is by every means average he was just given an extreme amount of power and built himself up to be amazing. Any other person could have become the "Kurtz" of Africa.
1.) The main reason I became a boatsmen is for the fact that I love to travel the world. I always wanted to find a new country or place but even just meeting new people is exciting. One day I hope to find a new country a but for now just traveling and searching for ivory is a fulfilling duty.
ReplyDelete2.) Lots of people find it weird that I really want to find Kurtz so badly but my reason isn't all that weird. Kurtz reminds me a lot of myself and looking at him I realize what I shouldn't do in my life and how I can do better, beating him in every aspect. People just want to succeed don't they?
3.) I don't think that the meeting would go that well. People normally are repulsed by themselves and I believe that I wouldn't like myself very much. It's very unlikely that we would ever be friend
2.) The reason I was so obsessed with finding and meeting Kurtz was because, well I believe, so I could find out who I really am. It was another adventure for myself and I was able to compare my personal qualities with Kurtz. Kurtz has always held a position of power, and I have looked up to him for that very reason. Unfortunately I lost my obsession for him when I discovered his selfish personality.
ReplyDelete1) Well I have always been keen on adventure ever since I was a boy. I have been on other voyages on different missions but ivory has always been a focal point for me. I get these strange obsessions with things, specifically pertaining to the unknown or things associated with fear. That was how my obsession with Kurtz flourished. But we will discuss this later. Also ivory is rare which makes it that much more valuable.
ReplyDelete2) I think I was more obsessed with Kurtz than the actual ivory mission itself because, let's face it, a psycho dictator is much more interesting than a piece of elephant tusk. I also wanted to find out about myself while discovering how Kurtz lost himself. I feel triumphant.
3) I think if I met Kurtz before the journey into the heart of darkness I would have been friends with him because we were so much alike prior to the experiences that helped me find myself. I would have found many wants and needs similar to him. But now I don't think I could say the same.
Although many factors have led me to be in this business, my biggest influence was my father. My father, Marlin, was a great man. He taught me everything I know and instilled all my morals and beliefs in me. He dreamed of being an explorer but became paralyzed when I was just three years old. Since he was unable to fulfill his dreams, I decided to do it for him and myself as well.
ReplyDeleteI greatly admired Kurtz from the minute that I found out about him. He was the epitome of what I wanted to be and I couldn't wait to meet him. In my mind, he was more a godlike figure than a human. Kurtz was a man's man and he got the job done. He was impossible to dislike from what I heard.
If I had met Kurtz in London, we probably would have gotten along great. We both had goals and ambitions and were hard workers. After we formed a friendship, I don't know how long it would've lasted because he is kind of a scary person. He's powerful and demanding and I would get sick of it real fast.
This is dumb. I just wasted about ten minutes answering your gosh darn dumb questions just for this technology to delete it..btw I wasn't raised with ipads. I began loving adventure when my father raised me to be sexist in the civilized society I grew up in. Around the age of twenty I began leaving home in the search of adventure. While on my adventure I found I was obsessed with a crazy man named Kurtz. It might have been the lack of water or the heat of the jungle but one way or another I began hearing his voice. Again not to be confused, kurtz was crazy not me(even though my story makes no sense to anyone but me). Moving on to the next question. If I met Kurtz I probably wouldn't be friend with him. One he's been in the jungle for a while so I'm doubting he's showered lately...I don't associate myself with the grungy type. Also since I've been home vie been hydrated and not hearing voices so he probably wouldn't be as interesting to me. Lastly, my mother taught me not to talk to strangers and I won't go against her. I may be sexist but that doesn't prevent her from getting angry. So overall I feel this was an unproductive questionnaire which is essence is symbolic of my life.
ReplyDelete1. Well, as a young boy, I loved looking at maps and imagining all the places I would one day go. This inspired me to take a job on a ship as a teenager and I never looked back. I like to travel to unknown places and meet new people. It's always interesting and I get some great stories to tell.
ReplyDelete2. I was simply intrigued by him as I feel we had a lot in common. We both came to Africa through my aunt's connections. I greatly admire his drive to succeed. In a short time, he became the largest exporter of ivory in the region. Clearly, he was well respected and he achieved a god like reputation among the natives.
3. Well, I don't know if we would have stopped and talked on the street. I generally do not talk to be random people I do not know because of stranger danger. I mean there are some real psychos out there. However, I suppose if we were introduced and we began to talk we could have become friends. I enjoy a good conversation, and I'm sure he would have something intelligent to say.
1. As a child, I enjoyed exploring the globe via map. I was able to imagine all the places I longed to visit, and this sparked my craving to travel and explore new lands.
ReplyDelete2. I was obsessed with finding Kurtz because I simply found him intriguing. I had a desire to know him. He was a reputable ivory exporter, and I admired the way he could command a room. He became impossible for me to resist.
3. If Kurtz and I had met on the streets of London I don't think I would have approached him as I'm not particular to striking up conversation with strangers. Although, I believe if we met elsewhere we could have the potential to become great friends.