Kurtz, who is the embodiment of colonialism in Congo. On the surface, Kurtz is a man who came to Africa to work for "The Company" and to help civilize the Congolese people; The International Society for the Suppression of Savage Customs even asked him to write a report to help them with their future projects. This report was described by Marlow as astonishing, but also as "'There was no practical indication for interrupting the magical flow of the sentences, unless some sort of note at the bottom of the last page...could be considered as the presentation of a method. It was very simple and at the end of this moving appeal to all altruistic feelings, he gave you a bright and terrifying flash like lightning in a serene sky: 'Exterminate all the brutes!'" (Conrad 50) The last 4 The words of this quote show Kurtz's true goal in Africa: not to civilize or help the natives, but to get rid of them. In the story, that's what King Leopold claimed to do (help), but he actually did it (want to kill them) too. Additionally, Kurtz's legacy parallels him with Belgian colonialism. It is half English and half French, a bit like Belgium which neighbors France and very close to England. The final connection between Kurtz and Belgian colonialism is Kurtz's deception in his work as an ivory collector. His superiors consider him one of the best collectors in the entire company, a