Theme Of Imperialism In Heart Of Darkness

  Marlow was an average European man with average European beliefs. Like most Europeans of his time, Marlow believed in colonialism; that is, until he met Kurtz. Kurtz forces Marlow to rethink his current beliefs after Marlow learns the effects of colonialism deep in the African Congo. In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Marlow learns that he has lived his entire life believing in a sugar-coated evil.  Marlow's understanding of Kurtz's experiences show him the effects colonialism can have on a man's soul.

The allure of the Congo, and its ability to hollow and remove an individual’s moral mater, is the catalyst which invokes Marlow’s devolution into a wayfaring stranger. Marlow, and in turn Conrad, contend that a man’s merit is based on their ability to conform to

Marlow's story in Heart of Darkness takes place in the Belgian Congo, which is one of the European colonies in Africa that is famous for the greed and brutalization of the native people. The novel reveals the deceptiveness of the entire colonial effort. In Europe, the colonization of Africa was justified because people were told that it would bring wealth to Europe, and it would also civilize and educate the so called "savage" African natives.

One of the first glimpses into the frivolous occupation of Africa by the Europeans is seen when Marlow recounts his journey to Africa aboard a French steamer. The immensity of Africa is describe as "The edge of a colossal

Conrad's novel, Heart of Darkness, relies on the historical period of imperialism to illuminate its protagonist, Charlie Marlow, and his struggle with two opposite value systems. Marlow undergoes a catharsis during his trip to the Congo and learns of the effects of imperialism. I will analyze Marlow's change, which is caused by his exposure to the imperialistic nature of the historical period in which he lived. Marlow goes to the Congo River to report on Mr. Kurtz, a valuable officer, to their employer. When he sets sail, he does not know what to expect. When his journey is complete, his experiences have changed him forever.

Really killer hook. However, imperialistic societies are often plagued by some sort of semi-xenophobic notion that europeans hold primacy over their non-eurocentric counterparts. This supremacy is built off of the ideal of some God given grace that sets them above the common rabble, not unlike the Nazis who felt germans were descendents of the master race and therefore all others were unfit to take up land that could be put to a good under Aryan control, this notion is built on the idea that Europeans are the cutting edge of innovation and the other civilizations of the world are lesser. The ideology of Western advancement lies within the ignorance of advances outside of their world, such accounts would be similar to the dismissal of the chinese

Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness focuses around Marlow a contemplative sailor and his passage up the Congo River to meet Kurtz, believed to be an optimistic man of great abilities. Marlow is both deterred and captivated by the man, he is confronted by the despair and corruption that Conrad saw at the heart of human presence. [T] Conrad draws upon many prominent ideas of – a) race; b) gender; and c) further helps the argument that empire was wrong.

Conrad’s Heart of Darkness reflects on ideas of imperialism, the contrast of purity and sin, ephemerality, and the nature of civilization and its savage counterpart.

While on the boat, Marlow says “the savagery, the utter savagery, had closed round him - all that mysterious life of the wilderness that stirs in the forest, in the jungles, in the hearts of wild men” (page 6). Marlow’ description of the deep jungle of Africa as the heart of darkness both for its untamed and hostile wilderness and for its supposed "savages" who hang out there practicing certain non-European customs such as cannibalism. Marlow’s trek through the Congo has made him cynical about what humans are capable of. This is seen when he landed in Africa “Black shapes crouched, lay, sat between the trees leaning against the trunks...in all the attitudes of pain, abandonment, and despair...The work was going on. The work! “ (page 16). The description of the natives and their way of appearing in the novel bring the terrific effect in the mind of the reader. Conrad delivers horrible scenes through the use of poetry as a way to deal with the

The claim of the Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe that Heart of Darkness is “offensive, deplorable”, “sets Africa up as a foil to Europe” and glorifies European colonization is not true. Achebe further claims that the book’s writer Conrad hardly provides any hint at Heart of Darkness being ironic or critical of imperialism, which is absolutely strange because the book has many examples of Conrad being ironic, through the voice of its main protagonist Marlow. In fact, the book should be read as a good criticism of the European imperialism and unjust commercial exploitation of the African lands, through the false pretenses of religion.

Furthermore, the Heart of Darkness was written in 1902 during the Belgian Congo. The Belgian Congo was experiencing a genocide; half of central Africa's population was killed in the process of extracting rubber and ivory for the Belgians. As countries like Germany, France, and Belgium begin to expand, British culture tried to establish that their version of imperialism was aiming to civilize not to traumatize the colonies they were moving into. This culture was relayed into Conrad's novel directly. Heart of Darkness was the first real narrative of what was taking place in the Belgian Congo. Marlow illustrates and narrates the horror of a society without a balance of power. Conrad was directly affected by British culture because as a young man

Heart of Darkness explores the issues surrounding imperialism in complicated ways. As Marlow travels from the Outer Station to the Central Station and finally up the river to the Inner Station, he encounters scenes of torture, cruelty, and near-slavery. At the very least, the incidental scenery of the book offers a harsh picture of colonial enterprise. The impetus behind Marlow’s adventures, too, has to do with the hypocrisy inherent in the rhetoric used to justify imperialism. The men who work for the Company describe what they do as “trade,” and their treatment of native Africans is part of a benevolent project of “civilization.” Kurtz, on the other hand, is open about the fact that he does not trade but rather takes ivory by force, and he describes his own treatment of the natives with the words “suppression” and “extermination”: he does not hide the fact that he rules through violence and intimidation. His perverse honesty leads to his downfall, as his success threatens to expose the evil practices behind European activity in Africa.

Marlow thinks that 'conquering'; the jungle for all its ivory is an arduous task after seeing a battleship fire its guns at the civilians. It was as if the tiny battleship was firing at the vast continent of Africa rather than the people. Conrad uses this metaphor to associate European thinking with imperialism. Unfortunately, Europeans, with the exception of Marlow, Kurtz and perhaps a few others, were primarily concerned with getting land- survival of the civilians was expendable on the continent. In Part II, a group of explorers called the Eldorado Exploring Exposition led by the manager's uncle come to the Congo. Marlow expresses his thoughts on the mission's evil intention by saying that these 'sordid buccaneers'; were only after the riches of the continent and not concerned with the natives:

Joseph Conrad ‘s Heart of Darkness tells the story about Marlow’s journey in Africa and the other character Kurtz who exploits the natives by imposing violence on them ,Marlow search for this.This story is actually based on the autobiographical of Joseph journey ,that he did for learned that how Europeans ruled over the (Africa for their own benifits. Jospeh Conrad’s Heart of Darkness

Congo and the River Emeritus are two totally separate rivers. It do not enjoy old