It is appropriate that Conrad chooses Kurtz's greatest gift and source of influence as his "gift of expression" to convey the true emptiness of a society so hypnotized by power “words” that “Once spoken, die.” Yet "words" are key elements of Heart of Darkness: the narrative itself is a story told from Marlow's "words", the entire basis of Kurtz's admiration and worship rests on his ability to express and communicate "words", and the same The foundation of maintaining a constant "truth" for Kurtz's Destiny rests solely on the knowledge of Kurtz's final "words". Conrad clearly communicates a strong theme of nihilism that underlies the very setting of his short story. As noted earlier, Kurtz's attainment of supreme power over the society of the natives calls into question the society's strong emphasis on and dependence on religion. Kurtz's character is essentially nothing more than a mere member of Western imperialist society, an insignificant individual among billions of the world's inhabitants; Yet he is capable of instilling the greatest terror among a large mass of people and establishing himself as a god, simply because he can convincingly express words that ultimately contain no meaning . Conrad questions the validity of religion and raises doubt about human reluctance to believe and worship God. Conrad's skepticism regarding religion and faith respects the main philosophies of nihilism and its