Sophie Lindquist

Professor Dunn-Hensley

English 115

10 December 2019

Playing God

In the culture today, there is a lack of respect for authority. To a greater extent, there is

little to no fear of a higher power. As Christians, we know that this higher power is the son of

God, Jesus Christ. But, when there is no acknowledgement of God we can put ourselves in a

dangerous place. Some people believe that religion was the driving force of oppression in the

works of ​Heart of Darkness​ and ​Purple Hibiscus​, but Conrad and Adiche both have characters

experiencing a God complex, and these desires of mankind to take the role of God is made

possible by the advancement of culture and science. Mr. Kurtz in ​Heart of Darkness a​ nd Eugene

in ​Purple Hibiscus ​put themselves in the place of God. When any fallen human being puts their

self in this position, the value of others is diminished completely causing oppression and

discrimination, and they end up more empty than before.

Most students are familiar with the book ​Frankenstein. ​In a secular article by Bina

Venkatarman, she says that this gothic novel by Shelley is a warning to what scientific

experimentation can do for the culture. Frankenstein is about a monstrous creature that was

created by a mad scientist who was testing his abilities. The scientist abandons his creation

because he immediately regrets what he has done. The confused and lost monster later speaks his

heart when he says, “Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even YOU

turned from me in disgust? God, in pity, made man beautiful and alluring, after His own image;
but my form is a filthy type of yours, more horrid even from the very

resemblance”(Venkataraman). This emotional quote that the monster says is a clear depiction of

what happens when we try to put ourselves in the position of the Creator. Humans cannot create

something good without the help of God, and science is giving people the assumption that this is

not true.

In ​Heart of Darkness,​ Kurtz plays the role of God by giving himself the power and

authority to own and take away the lives of those who live in the Congo. The ​Heart of Darkness

takes place in the Domonican Republic of the Congo in the 1890s, and in this time period the

infamous King Leopold II of Belgium was ruling recklessly in the Congo, very similarly to the

way that Kurtz ruled his “company” in ​Heart Of Darkness. ​To give a brief history of the DRC,

the time of the reign of Leopold II was one of the worst scandals of the 19th century. The King

exploited the people and he exploited the environment. When he took a hold of the Congo, he

gave the people no right to self-rule. He did not offer any help in terms of education, vocation, or

training for a certain career. Overall, his rule was meant to leave the Congolese with no abilities

to help themselves or the economy. Not only did he set them up for failure in their economy and

politics, he also took away their human rights by forcing cruel labor, causing mental and physical

damage on their bodies, and many, many deaths. After his rule, he gave the Congo over to

another corrupt leader from Belgian after succeeding in creating a state robbed from their money,

resources, and most importantly, their humanity(Johnson). This history is important in

understanding the story told and the themes portrayed in ​Heart of Darkness.​ Similar to King

Leopold II, Kurtz acquires the Congo in an equally inhumane manner. Mr. Kurtz is an ivory

trader that was sent by a disturbing company from Belgian into the free state of the Congo. He
runs a station of “the company”, and it is clear that the company is the source of evil in the book.

Their enforcement of imperialism brings a real darkness and sadness, and the company itself is

what puts a “dark stain” on the hearts of characters such as Kurtz. We see this heart of darkness

through his greed and desire to be in control. However, his reasoning is skewed, and he begins

by justifying his intentions by saying that his mission is to help the “primitive” people see the

light of civilization. But, because of the power that he set up for himself, he constantly wants

more and more money, ivory, and admiration, and he does not flinch to use the natives abusively

to get what he wants. Essentially, Kurtz establishes himself as a god over the people of the

Congo which causes him to dehumanize the natives by forcing labor upon them and killing them

in the process. His actions are done solely for his gain and because he genuinely believes and

convinces himself that he is superior to the people living in the Congo. Mr. Kurtz is described in

chapter 2 as someone who gave himself over to the powers of darkness and “had taken a high

seat amongst the devil’s of the land”(2.29). Later the text reads, “You should have heard him

say, ‘My ivory’, Oh yes, I heard him. ‘My intended, my ivory, my station, my river, my---’

everything belonged to him”(2.29). His desire and greed to take ownership as if he were God

drove him down a steep slope, and as he died, he looked back at his life and said, “The horror!

The horror!”. This was his final judgement on his own life and actions, and it emphasizes that no

matter how much power one has, no one can take the role of God. The desire of Kurtz to be on

the throne instead of God is what left him utterly ruined, and when a ruined leader takes the

throne seat that should be reserved for God, other humans are ruined and mistreated in the

process as well.
 Similarly, Eugene, the father role in ​Purple Hibiscus​ damages the physical and emotional

well-being of his family because of the way he sets himself up as a god. Eugene perceives his

judgement as higher than anyone else’s and his righteousness as the standard for all people. His

distorted, high view of himself causes him to manipulate his family members and forces them to

live in a constant state of fear. Even though he has a positive view of himself, Papa lives two

very different lives. The scary part is that he does not realize how sickening his actions are. He

convinces himself that he is helping his household by punishing their every mistake because he

believes everything that he says and does is righteous and holy and his actions in the public are

honorable and charitable. So, in his view, it would be unloving to allow behaviours that were

anything other than his expectations. He is respected outside of the house so much so, that even

his own daughter could not discern his true character. In her mind, he could do no wrong. Seeing

someone as perfect is an unhealthy way to view anyone, much less a man who is beating and

emotionally mistreating his family. Once again, when any human being is elevated to the height

of a god, only destruction can come from it. The reader sees the destructive results through the

debilitating fear and self-condemnation that his children grew up with under his abuse. Even

though the kids eventually broke free, Jaja especially, they were psychologically impacted by the

way their father tyrannically ruled their household. When the one true King is put in His rightful

position on the throne, the children of the King live with freedom, no fear, and a sense of peace

in the identity that they have. The children and wife of Eugene, on the other hand, live unable to

even speak up for themselves, forcing them to live a life of silence. They are crippled by the

standard that their father set for them to live under. He requires perfection for his family, yet he

does not live up to that perfection as a father.

 Both of these characters seem to suffer from narcissism. The Greek myth of Narcissus is

the familiar story about the man who fell in love with his reflection in the pool, and he died

because of it. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the term narcissism as “an extremely

self-centered person who has an exaggerated sense of self-importance.'' In other words,

narcissists make themselves God in their mind. Both Eugene and Papa have a highly exaggerated

view of themselves, and just like Narcissus in the Greek myth, they are blinded to this terrible

flaw. However, unlike the story of Narcissus, their flaws are consequential for everyone involved

in their lives. The self-obsession that both Kurtz and Papa have is what leads them to oppress

others. In the life of Kurtz, his perception of himself is so high that he actually convinces himself

that he is more evolved and “more human” than the natives of the Congo. In his paper to the

International Society for the Suppression of Savage Customs, he writes at the end, “Exterminate

all the brutes!” As uncomfortable as this is to read, it tells us a lot about the heart of Kurtz. He

does not even give them the dignity of being called a human being. His demeaning language

once again points back to the senseless greed that took over him and caused him to take the place

of God over the people in the Congo. In the same way, Eugene has convinced himself that his

way is the only way, and because of that he oppresses his children and casts judgement in ways

such as pouring boiling water on their feet when they do not act in a “holy” way. Preston Ni from

Psychology Today explains that narcissists have a “self anointed know it all” mentality that

manipulates others(Ni). In both works, the ones being oppressed are crippled by fear, so

speaking up or taking action against oppression is not an option. In ​Heart of Darkness, ​if

someone were to take action against Kurtz, their skull would end up on a stake outside of his hut.

In ​Purple Hibiscus, ​Kambili was afraid to act in a way against the counsel of her father because
she feared that she would lose the love of the man whom she highly respected. The love of

oneself prevents one to love others. Both antagonists have self-love or self-admiration to the

extent of not being able to see the human dignity of others as well as the pain that they are

putting others through. If they are aware, then their love for themselves and their desires are

blinding or are far greater than their care for the people that are in their lives.

The desires that people have to take control of others is partially made possible by the

advancement of science. As mentioned before, ​Frankenstein i​ s an example of the consequences

that science can have when it is abused and used in a way that is against the Lord’s will. The

quote from ​Frankenstien​ that was previously mentioned portrays the sadness and confusion that

arises when a human being rules tyrannically over other humans. The monster knew that his

creator was disgusted by him, so he became more and more disgusted with himself and angry at

his creator. In addition, because he gave into the temptation of creating something that would

offer him recognition and power, he hurt more people than himself. His loved ones died, and his

creation was left with nothing but anger and bitterness. Even though the books mentioned are

vastly different than ​Frankenstein​, the idea that science has allowed people to believe that they

are “more evolved” and more powerful than others is present in all works. Mr. Kurtz is an

example of what the advancement of science and colonization can do to one’s mental state. Just

as King Leopold forced labour onto the natives in order to advance European trade, Kurtz’s

intentions were the same. He wanted wealth and advancement for himself and for his company,

and forcing cruel labour upon the natives as if they were animals quickly became the solution.

He and Marlow believed that the natives were deprived and primitive. This take on colonization

is corrupt and wrong because the people of the Congo are painted as objects and a scientific
project instead of people. Eugene is a product of this distorted colonization and english

civilization. Aunty Ifeoma describes Papa as a colonial product. The reader sees this in the way

that Papa tries to have a British accent and force English on his children so that they seem more

“civilized”. Instead of owning the culture of Nigeria, he adapts to the view of Kurtz and believes

that the Western culture is the superior culture. An article about ​Purple Hibiscus ​by Musa W.

Dube talks about Papa’s problem. She says that he embodies violence so much so, that Papa “is

described as one who has been beaten by a colonial mosquito, whose parasites continue to wreak

havoc on his system”(Dube). He is infected by colonial advancement. What was the sad result of

this infection in both books? An oppressed group of people who are confused, hurt, and angry

just like the monster in ​Frankenstein.

Both characters are infected by their love of self and love of power to the point of death.

They realized that all of their strivings were like chasing after wind. There will never be enough

power, money or recognition in this world to satisfy anyone. The effort to become God is a scary

venture to take for a few reasons. One being that a human being will never achieve it. Christians

know that humans are made in His image, but we are not fit to take His place as ruler. All men

and women are created equal, and all men and women should be treated as such. The Lord is the

one true Judge. Clearly, Mr. Kurtz and Papa Eugene did not ever comprehend this, despite their

perceived intentions. Their efforts were driven by greed and pride and a narcissistic view of

themselves. They were blinded by their sin and blinded to the way that they were being

controlled by the advancement of science and colonization. Another reason that striving to take

the place of God is a dangerous and pointless road to take is because it will do the opposite of

satisfy. William Wilberforce says that “Prosperity hardens the heart”(Wilberforce). To desire
prosperity, success and admiration is to desire destruction and emptiness. Only God can fill the

void in every human’s heart. Craving control of other people and being willing to go as far as

oppression and even genocide to acquire that control will leave a human in the state that Kurtz

and Eugene were left. A state of horror.

 Works Cited

Johnson, Steven, “King Leopold II’s Exploitation of the Congo From 1885 to 1908 and Its

Consequences” (2014). ​HIM 1990-2015.​ 1642.

https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses1990-2015​/1642

“Narcissistic Personality Disorder.” ​Merriam-Webster​, Merriam-Webster,

www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/narcissistic%20personality%20disorder​.

Ni, Preston. “7 Ways Narcissists Manipulate Relationships.” ​Psychology Today​, Sussex

Publishers, 3 Mar. 2019,

www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/communication-success/201903/7-ways-narcissists-m

anipulate-relationships.

Venkataraman, Bina. “The Problem With ‘Playing God.’” ​Slate Magazine,​ Slate, 11 Jan. 2017,

slate.com/technology/2017/01/frankenstein-and-the-problem-with-playing-god.html.

Wilberforce, William. “William Wilberforce: Prosperity Hardens the Heart.” ​Generosity Monk,​

generositymonk.com/2010/09/19/william-wilberforce-prosperity-hardens-the-heart/.