A White Lie for a Woman Dressed in Black

Near the end of his story, Marlow recounts the visit he paid to the woman who would have become Kurtz’s wife. Kurtz’s “Intended” acts and behaves as if “she would remember and mourn for ever.” (73) The room she is standing in is described as dark, as are her sunken eyes. She asks Marlow what Kurtz’s last words were, and Marlow becomes uneasy and unsure as to how to answer this question. Finally, he decides to appease her by telling her that Kurtz’s final words were her name. It seems like a pretty harmless lie—a white lie, in fact. A white lie told to brighten up the world of a woman perpetually plagued by darkness.

Why do you think Marlow chose to lie about Kurtz’s final words? Does the fact that he told this lie make him a less admirable character? Do you think that he selfishly lied in order to escape her sorrow when she would learn the truth (that she was not Kurtz’s final thought) or do you think he did it to protect her?