Comparison_of_Apocalypse_Now_and_Heart_of_Darkness

Comparison of Apocalypse Now and Heart of Darkness Apocalypse Now and Heart of Darkness share parallel characters, ideas and dialogues, but most important is the distinct similarity between central themes. Each deals with the primitive, animalistic qualities stifled within the modern, refined man which will emerge indefinitely in the absence of civilization. The Kurtz's from each work abandon society and become engrossed in the primitive ways of the jungle, rediscovering their basest human instincts. On a superficial level, one could compare the characters of Heart of Darkness to those of Apocalypse Now. Marlow, on his downriver journey in Africa is a parallel to Willard, on his assassination mission on the river in Vietnam. Each man is on an intrinsic journey as well as a physical one, finding spiritual enlightenment in the darkest of places. The Kurtz's are obvious parallels, not only appellatively but also behaviorally, in that they feed on their instincts and desert their learned morals. Although both men are high-ranked military prodigies, the high attained from being coveted as a god among the natives causes them to depart from their ethics. Even the most minor characters, such as Phillips and Phillips and the Russian and the photojournalist are parallel. In both works, Kurtz is seen kurtz, heart, now, darkness, apocalypse, man, each, marlow, both, within, willard, instincts, characters, works, story, seen, same, parallel, one, kurtzs, inside, cannot, better, being, beasts, work, upon, themes, tell, stifled, society, similarities, savage, river, refined, rebel, realizes, qualities, primitive, phillips, ourselves, nature, natives, men, lands, jungle, important, horror, find, fault