The Blur Clears

Luckily, in the home stretch, the novel is becoming more comprehensible. During Marlow’s travel to meet the mysterious Mr. Kurtz, the rapid ping-pong style of writing has considerably slowed down. Instead of a plot structure that bounced from endless monologue to unusual commentary, it stayed linear for the most part. It only broke when Marlow described his sadness at the prospect of never meeting Mr. Kurtz. However, Conrad’s signature swift and combined phrasing is ever present. It was not uncommon for me to reread whole paragraphs because, even now, I am not used to his unique style. Another adjustment in his writing style was there was no switching of point of view that was found before. Marlow kept the speaking in the first person while telling his tale.
Conrad probably changed his writing style to suit the quickening of the plot. The plot thickens as the reader discovered that Mr. Kurtz may not have been killed in the quick but deadly attack by the natives. The enigma that is Mr. Kurtz is unraveling with every person Marlow encounters. Like Marlow’s steamer, the reader is slowly but surely reaching the climax of the novel.
The direct writing style Marlow is now using to describe his journey is a welcome change from his past depictions. All the details to scenery and people were tainted as if Conrad wanted to place the reader in the area, but with opaque glasses to blur the view. Conrad no longer seems to be leading the reader through the fog and is now presenting the facts as they first came to Marlow. I am excited to watch what happens next.
Kayla H.