In Heart of Darkness, Marlow sees the “symbolic” skulls lining Kurtz’s hit. What reflections do those skulls lead Marlow to make regarding the nature of Kurt’s downfall in the wilderness?

Kurtz lies in a hut surrounded by heads on stakes. Marlow is not very shocked at the sight. He takes this as an indication that Kurtz lacks restraint in the gratification of his lusts, a condition for which the wilderness is culpable. Marlow assumes that Kurtz was hollow inside and needed something to fill that lack.