The main similarity I noticed when comparing Heart of Darkness and Waiting for the Barbarians was between the two main characters: the magistrate and Marlow. As Douglas Kerr points out in his article, both men are "explorers and collectors," and ultimately, their "desires to protect and collect" are what gets them into trouble as well. Marlow is on the prolonged journey not only to do what he was sent out to do, but more importantly to him, to find and try to understand the man that is Kurtz. Likewise, the magistrate admits that his main reason for taking in and taking care of the Barbarian woman is to find deeper meaning about her background, her people, and simply who she is and where she comes from. Both characters have the ulterior motive of searching for a deeper understanding of people unlike themselves throughout their journeys.
In addition, both the magistrate and Marlow are at some point in each of their journeys under the power of another and have power of their own. Marlow experiences the great power of Kurtz; a power so intense that it is often not directly seen. The magistrate and Marlow both also experience the power of words have over people and the lesson that power can be passed down from generation to generation. When the magistrate sees the little girl of the town timidly beating a Barbarian with a cane given to hear by a person of higher power, he comments on the reaction of power people get when they feel as though they are in a position of authority.
The magistrate and Marlow each have extreme fascinations. The magistrate is fascinated with the background of the Barbarians and what they have been through and Marlow is fascinated with places, maps, exploration, and Kurtz; a man he meets long after his fascination with him begins. These fascinations are what begins each of the characters on their journeys and what eventually ends them too. When Kurtz dies, Marlow basically excepts defeat when he lies to Kurtz's former lover in order to lessen the pain of his death and of reality. The magistrate accepts defeat when he comes to the realization that he is in fact, alone in his search for justice and what he thinks is right.
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