The Dark Soul of Man Exposed in the Heart of Darkness Conrad's setting of a "night journey" to the Congo becomes an apt metaphor. This “Heart of Darkness” that Marlow penetrates from the heart of darkness contained in every man. The knowledge Marlow gains about the state of the human heart is the same as that gained by an attentive and thoughtful reader. As Marlow heads toward Kurtz's camp and his knowledge of this wild land deepens, so does our understanding of the darkness inherent in every man. The discovery is this: deep in our nature, all men are savage. The name Kurtz, which is a German abbreviation, has a symbolic meaning. Physical shortness in Kurtz implies shortness of character and mind. His shortcomings become apparent as Marlow learns more about him: "Mr. Kurtz lacked restraint in the gratification of his various desires. Our understanding of the corruption of men's souls finally becomes complete when Marlow meets Kurtz and discovers what Kurtz has truly become, one with the earth, devolved to a primitive state. Marlow and Kurtz could be seen as two conditions of human existence, Kurtz representing what man could become if left to his own devices outside of protective society. Marlow therefore represents a pure and untouched civilized soul who has not been lured into savagery by a dark and alienated jungle. According to Conrad, the willingness to give in to the uncivilized man does not reside only in Kurtz. Every man has a heart of darkness within him. This heart is drowned in a bath of light brought by the advent of civilization. No man is an island, and no man can live on an island without becoming a brutal savage. In his heart lies the raw evil of untamed ways of life.