Paradise Lost vs. Heart of Darkness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Paradise Lost vs. Heart of Darkness - Essay Example Marlow’s narration about his journey to the Congo in Africa is the central subject of the novel. Marlow is employed as a ferry-boat captain by a Belgian trading company. His job is to carry ivory downriver, but the main task assigned to him is to bring Kurtz back to his society. Kurtz is a rebel who has moved away from his own civilization and settled in deep jungles of Congo. The character of Kurtz is revealed by Marlowe’s narration inducing a mixed feeling of hatred and sympathy for him. In the epic poem, â€Å"Paradise Lost† by John Milton, the poet recounts the events that led to the downfall of mankind. Adam and Eve, the first human beings to be created by God lived in the Garden of Eden. The beauty of the Garden of Eden was so enchanting that it was also called as Paradise. But Satan who was keen to avenge God, lures Eve to consume the forbidden fruit. On the knowledge of Eve’s horrendous act, Adam also eats the fruit for he is not ready to leave Eve alone in her suffering. Adam and Eve are expelled by God from the Garden of Eden as a chastisement for their act of disobedience. The title of the poem refers to the lost purity of Adam and Eve. The two characters that make one to feel sympathetic towards them are Kurtz in the novel, â€Å"Heart of Darkness† and Adam in the poem, â€Å"Paradise Lost†. Kurtz has gained control on the tribes of the jungle and taken over the territory. He has a great influence on the native tribes who worship him. The company is not ready to accept any threat to its own control over the region and assigns Marlowe to bring Kurtz back to his own civilization. Kurtz has settled in jungles as an act of defiance against the cruel ways of the company but he is not able to keep himself away from the temptation of power. He utilizes the natives to conduct brutal incursions in the neighboring regions to procure ivory. Though Kurtz is living amidst the