Wilderness + Kurtz = 4ever!

pg. 48

"I laid the ghost...for thier own."

In this passage, the Marlowe suggests that Kurtz has become the wilderness by using the words, "...it had taken him, loved him, embraced him, got into his veins, consumed his flesh, and sealed his soul to its own..." (Conrad, 48). The use of the words, "sealed his soul in its own," suggests a bond between the wilderness and Kurtz. It seems that like the beaten slave on page 23, "the wilderness without a sound took him into it's bosum..." and accepted Kurtz as one of the natives. The narrater also uses the word, "initiated," which suggests that he is officially a part of the wilderness like one of the natives.
It also seems that the wilderness and Kurtz have a mutual relationship and that Kurtz has control over the wilderness and the wilderness has control over him as well. Marlowe describes Kurtz using the word "my" several times. Marlowe says "'My Intended, my ivory, my station, my river, my...' everything belonged to him." (Conrad, 48). The use of the word, "my," suggests that Marlowe has claimed the land as his own. The forest's control over Kurtz is described later on when Marlowe says, "The thing was to know what he belonged to, how many powers of darkness claimed him for their own." (Conrad 48). The use of the word, "claimed," suggests that he forest has control and power over Kurtz just like Kurtz has power over the forest.