Why Did He Lie?

One of the reading journal questions for section three, "Why did Marlow lie to Kurtz's Intended about his last words?" really made me think. At first I though the question was straight forward, but then I wasn’t so sure.

At the end of the novel, after Kurtz has died and Marlow has returned from the Congo, Marlow goes and visits Kurtz's Intended. While talking, she asks Marlow what were Kurtz’s last words before he died. And, instead of telling her the truth, that his last words were "The Horror, The Horror" he tells her that his last word was her name.

Now, I understand that thought this journey, Marlow looked at Kurtz with a feelings of admiration. However, after meeting him and seeing things like dried heads on the steaks facing his station, it seemed to me that Marlow realized that Kurtz might not have been the man he thought he was. Or at least not someone with great ideals. So why did he lie to Kurtz's Intended? I don’t think that Conrad had Marlow lie just to protect the women’s feelings. Or if he did, was that met to further emphasize the idea of ignorance? It seems that through Marlow's lie, he was almost protecting Kurtz reputation, keeping him this ideal man in her mind. So why did he do it if he had seem the awful and un ideal things he had done?

Comments

[Katie K.]

I think he did it not just to keep Kurtz the ideal man in her eyes, but in his as well. As you stated, after meeting Kurtz, it was probably not what he had expected or hoped for. I think Marlow still wanted Kurtz to be the man he thought he would be. By telling the lie, Kurtz's Intended still has that ideal image of him, and maybe Marlow can get swept up in his own lie about what Kurtz was really like if someone else believes it too.