In 1887, two years before succumbing to absolute madness, the existentialist philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche wrote his ethical polemic, On the Genealogy of Morals, in search of a man with the strength to evolve beyond humanity: But every now and then you grant me... a glimpse, grant me just a glimpse, of something perfect, fully realized, happy, powerful, triumphant, of something that still gives reason to fear! A glimpse of man that justifies the existence of man... for which one can remain faithful to the faith in man! (Nietzsche, 18). Nietzsche submits to European civilization and seeks a man free from moral principles, principles which he believes form from the suffocating existence of being surrounded by weaker beings. Nietzsche's cry for a superman is realized in Marlow's quest in Joseph Conrad's story, Heart of Darkness. Marlow travels along the Congo River in central Africa, driven by curiosity that turns into delirious monomania to find Belgium's leading ivory trader, Kurtz, a man seemingly distinct from the empty men of the Company. personification of the Stations and forces the reader into introspection. The narrative frame used by Conrad provides Marlow with the opportunity to step outside the story and speak directly to his audience, and he often uses this occasion to observe: "No, it is impossible to convey the feeling of life of a given epoch of one's existence." ,—that which makes its truth, its meaning—its subtle and penetrating essence. It's impossible. We live, while we dream, alone” (Conrad, 130). The idea behind this comment is solipsism, that no man can truly understand any experience other than his own. Solipsism personalizes the story, forces the reader to reach into their own heart to see what is there, to see the darkness that is there.