Both Uses of
wither
in
Heart of Darkness
- —he had withered; it had taken him, loved him, embraced him, got into his veins, consumed his flesh, and sealed his soul to its own by the inconceivable ceremonies of some devilish initiation.†
Chpt 2 *
- No eloquence could have been so withering to one's belief in mankind as his final burst of sincerity.†
Chpt 3
Definition:
-
(wither) to shrivel (wrinkle and contract -- usually from lack of water)
or:
to become weaker; or feel humiliated