The Faces of a Stranger...We Love to Try them On

This book was a difficult read, and I truly struggled with it. Even after much class discussion there were many things that just left me shaking my head and bewildered. I called in some help from friends (thanks Nickle for answering my questions as best you could) but even after that this book still made me feel like a bottom feeder in that I had so much trouble with it I had to ask questions of my patient friends often and still have questions in class. I liked the idea of this book, and enjoyed the thought of the “what ifs.” This book reminded me a little bit of Lord of the Flies, and I thoroughly enjoyed that book.

“It was unearthly, and the men were—No, they were not inhuman. Well, you know, that was the worst of it—the suspicion of their not being inhuman. It would come slowly to one. They howled and leaped, and spun, and made horrid faces; but what thrilled you was just the thought of their humanity—like yours—the thought of your remote kinship with this wild and passionate uproar. Ugly. Yes, it was ugly enough; but if you were man enough you would admit to yourself that there was in you”
This quote shows his twisted view of the natives. It is almost as if by making them less human, and giving them animal like characteristics, he makes what is really going on more bearable. The author’s diction helps create a savage picture of the natives using words like “howled” and “roar” and shows that this display has intrigued Marlow and that he is coming around to the idea of being just as “savage” as those he is watching.

Kurtz’s character is an interesting one. I personally struggled with the idea that he might not even really be a character, he might be like an alter ego of Marlow. This idea is backed by Kurtz’s death and Marlow’s decision to step back form the leap he could have easily made. Kurtz is on a basic level the “wild side” of every human. Billy Joel wrote a whole song about this called The Stranger LyricsArtist(Band):Billy Joel
Well we all have a face
That we hide away forever
And we take them out and show ourselves
When everyone has gone
Some are satin some are steel
Some are silk and some are leather
They're the faces of the stranger
But we love to try them on
Well we all fall in love
But we disregard the danger
Though we share so many secrets
There are some we never tell
Why were you so surprised
That you never saw the stranger
Did you ever let your lover see
The stranger in yourself?
Don't be afraid to try again
Everyone goes south
Every now and then
You've done it, why can't
Someone else?
You should know by now
You've been there yourself
Once I used to believe
I was such a great romancer
Then I came home to a woman
That I could not recognize
When I pressed her for a reason
She refused to even answer
It was then I felt the stranger
Kick me right between the eyes
Well we all fall in love
But we disregard the danger
Though we share so many secrets
There are some we never tell
Why were you so surprised
That you never saw the stranger
Did you ever let your lover see
The stranger in yourself?
Don't be afraid to try again
Everyone goes south
Every now and then
You've done it why can't
Someone else?
You should know by now
You've been there yourself
You may never understand
How the stranger is inspired
But he isn't always evil
And he is not always wrong
Though you drown in good intentions
You will never quench the fire
You'll give in to your desire
When the stranger comes along.