2. Part two begins with Marlow overhearing the conversation between the manager and his uncle talking about Kurtz. The manager thinks that Kurtz wishes to take over his position. The manager also remembers when Kurtz sent a large load of ivory and a note to him saying that he should stop sending incompetent men along like his clerk, the clerk then tells the manager that Kurtz is ill. The manager and his uncle then discuss the trader, who they are unsure about, so the uncle says to go ahead and have him hanged because nobody here will question the manager's authority. Marlow was angered by this conversation, so he reveals himself to them but they are unphased by his presence. Marlow sets off on a two month long journey on the river to get to Kurtz, and on the journey he brings with him a group of pilgrims whom he realizes are not that different from himself, but he is too busy keeping the ship running smoothly to think anything of it. As they are getting closer to the Inner Station they discover a hut with firewood in it and a note who they conclude must be from the Russian trader as there appeared to be a special code on the side. There is bad weather on their journey as they are trying to reach Kurtz, from the shore they hear screaming and the voices of natives, the whites on the ship are scared, however, Marlow does not think they will attack. Soon after this though the natives bombard the ship with arrows, and the helmsman is shot with one and dies. The other men on the ship begin to comment on Marlow's strange behavior, as he has thrown new shoes overboard, but Marlow does not care he is just disappointed that he may never meet Kurtz. He also concludes that Kurtz has gained some kind of power among the natives and that sacrifices must have been made in his name, but that he might not be worth the lives lost. He also reminisces about the navigator's death, blaming it on the fact that the navigator fired at the natives. When they arrive at the station the Russian greets them and first tells Marlow about himself and then that the natives probably attacked the ship because they do not want Kurtz to leave.
3. The helmsman's death was a tragedy for Marlow and his crew both figuratively and literally. Literally, the crew is in trouble because they no longer to have anybody to guide them or steer the boat on their journey down the river. Symbolically, they no longer have the navigator to guide them on their journey into venturing deeper and deeper into the knowledge of the truth. The truth is that the whites are not so different from the "savages" that they came there to imperialize. Also, I thought that the shoes that the helmsman was wearing could possibly represent protection from the truth. When Marlow threw the shoes overboard he was showing that since he was dead he no longer was in need of protection from the knowledge that the rest of the characters would soon gain.
4. a) What is the significance of the Russian trader's appearance?
b) Why do the natives idolize Kurtz, but resist his imperialistic ideals?
c) Why does the manager feel threatened by Kurtz?
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