Too Dark Altogether”
The Perception of Mystery and Darkness in Marlow’s Projective Recount of his Meeting with the Intended “Of all myths, none is more firmly anchored in masculine hearts than that of the feminine “mystery”” Simon De Beauvoir –The Second Sex In discussion of Heart of Darkness many critics have examined the significances of Marlow’s scene with the intended. Each have offered different interpretations of the reason why Marlow lies to the intended about Kurtz’s final words. Johanna Smith in her article “”Too Beautiful Altogether” Ideologies of Gender and Ideologies of Empire in Heart of Darkness”. She explains how Marlow’s narrative subjugates women. Smith illustrates that
She writes “An ideology of separate spheres enables masculine imperialism could not be more clearly stated” (Smith 200). Therefore, Smith adds, Marlow’s lie is an act of protecting the woman to stay in that “beautiful world” of hers (Smith 201). She asserts that Marlow tries to show through his patriarchal imperialistic narrative that he felt pity for her and lied to her in order to protect her. She also demonstrates that Marlow feels threatened from Kurtz’s eloquence and creates the two sphere to moves his feeling of threat to the women’s sphere by showing her living in a world of her own. Similarly, Nina Pelikan Straus in her essay “The Exclusion of the Intended from Secret Sharing in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness” agrees with Smith’s idea about trying to show two spheres for men (truth) and women(delusion). She clarifies that Marlow’s lie is part of the sexist narrative that works to serve male heroism. She also maintains that Marlow highly admires Kurtz eloquence and feels jealous of the intended’s love for Kurtz thus claims possession of