Which direction is she spinning for you?
When Kurtz says, "The Horror! The Horror!" lying on his death bed, there are many influences that could have caused him to say this. One view is that Kurtz has had a "flashback" and relived his entire life to see that what he has done was horrendous and barbaric. Another view is how Kurtz is disgusted by the European culture, taking advantage of others, and how he regrets not being able to live amongst the africans sooner and longer. No one can tell for sure what Kurtz is thinking when he speaks that famous line; however, I would like to presume that, aside from fearing death coming so soon, he has come to realization that Africa has revealed his inner nature being a monster. While in the darkness of Africa, his mind had been open to his animalistic behavior, but once on a boat exiting the enlightening area, he has come to see who he really is. I believe that the irony that Europeans are bringing enlightenment to Africa is that it is actually the opposite. By journeying into Africa, one can become more enlightened in who they actually are, once in an environment where ones natural instinct comes into play since death can come at any time.
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