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Thoughts Of Imperialism In Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness

Decent Essays

Heart of Darkness, what does it really mean, what can it signify? For all it matters, it has no meaning, but is just a phrase. By applying the following schools of theory, psychoanalysis, over analyzing texts, cultural studies which portray how readers consume the text and postcolonial which analyzes the “loser's” perspective it helps to depict the novella of Heart Darkness. By using the schools of theory, it will analyze a multitude of perspective relating to the novella’s theme of imperialism disastrous effects on life and the motifs of “Heart of Darkness”. The social aspects in which Heart of Darkness brings to light is the consuming urge of Imperialist to have power over the “uncivilized”.
The novella of Heart of Darkness comments on …show more content…

Nayak believes that “Conrad’s text exposes the violence and mercenary nature of imperialism” thus stating the obvious outcomes of imperialism. The Africans were subdued to heavy intensify labor forcefully and still were expected to follow through yet in past experience history has always shown that riots and revolutions soon to begin to follow such hardships. Nevertheless, Heart of Darkness points out the human perception of being obsessed with anything they seem to want or desire. The Europeans obsession over ivory drove them to imperialize and torture Africans solely to make money. By applying the psychoanalytical theory, it can point out the obsession of the human heart.
Psychoanalysis theory is the thought of over analyzing text. For example, Marlow becomes obsessed with seeking this well praised and hard working character Kurtz; this can just be Conrad seeking a strong and dependent father figure that he may have never had. For example, Cunningham states “ Marlow is unable to communicate the experience” thus showing the unexplainable feeling of Marlow towards meeting Kurtz.To add further to the theme of the human heart's obsession, the manager and the cousin seek to get rid of everyone that gets in their way of the control and power of the “Company”; this can be simply them trying to compensate for something they may lack. Though it may be said that is simply a bit of a stretch, though it is a possibility of why human are capable of obsessing over such

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