Q: In paragraph 58, Marlow describes a painting Kurtz made of "a woman, draped and blindfolded, carrying a lighted torch." What message was Kurtz sending with this painting? At this point in the story, do you think Marlow would agree or disagree with this message? Why?
The woman in the painting seems to symbolize the role that London is playing in the story. The light torch represents their desire to spread civilization into Africa while the blindfold is representative of their ignorance in the process of doing so. The gender depicted in the painting might relate to the role of women in London's society as being subordinate to men. Kurtz's message seems to be in order to criticize London's intentions in their colonization and also in their societal norms. At this point in the story, I think Marlow would agree with this message because of his initial attitude towards the situation between London and Africa. His words in the beginning of the story are illustrative of his belief in somewhat of an equivalence between the past condition of London and the present of Africa.
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