Heart of Darkness Essay: Introductory Paragraph

Throughout Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness we, the reader, follow the journey of a sailor, Marlow, as he travels up the african Congo in search of Kurtz, an infamous agent of the "Company".  During this journey, Marlow and the crew experience numerous challenges that are all endured in attempt to reach Kurtz.  An idealized man, feared and known for his brutality and increasing unpredictable decisions, Kurtz at the literal level, appears to be someone simply gone crazy in the confinement of the jungle.  However, using psychoanalytical criticism derived from Frederick Karl's "Introduction to the Danse Macabre:...", we are able to gain insight into the Freudian id that Kurtz symbolizes about the dangers of power and our inner self.