Civilism In The Dark Side Of Darkness

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to reveal the dark side of his character.
In the contrary, the novel depicts the Europeans as knowledgeable nation who have a mission to civilize the whole world including “the blank” Africa. Marlow himself refers to the missions to civilize Africa as "a heavenly mission"(Page9 HOD). Europeans claimed that they want to bring "light" to Africa. That light is the knowledge that Europe has gained through colonizing places that have not yet been civilized. And for them, the mission of civilizing the natives is a noble cause: "he had been a couple of years already out there engaged in the noble cause"(page12 HOD). The evil colonization is masked by civilization. Further, the idea that civilizing the natives is a “noble cause” was so dominant in European culture that even Marlow's aunt, who helps to go to Africa, considers it an important mission, she is pleased that her nephew will help in enlightenment "weaning those ignorant millions from their horrid ways."(page 17 HOD). But in fact, trade is the real cause of colonization rather than enlightenment "They were going to run an over-sea empire, and make no end of coin by trade." (Page13 HOD), even though the mission appears to be “angelic”, but appearances can be deceiving. It is clear that the European civilization claims more than what it is capable of. The only thing that European civilization is capable of is stealing the African wealth.

Throughout the novel, Africa is not only being described as dark but also mysterious and dangerous where light could be turned into darkness. The setting when Marlow tells his tale is foreshadowing of what is to come. The setting changes as Europeans drive deeper into the Congo, and the white man collapses under the infinite darkness of the Co...

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...e death."(Page 29 HOD), and this is a clear evidence that proves how Marlow’s morals have been destroyed as he moves to each station.
In conclusion, Heart of Darkness de-humanizes Africans, denies their language and culture and under estimates them by calling them with humiliating names. Heart of Darkness reveals the absolute hypocrisy of Europe. In Europe, colonizing Africa was necessary because it would not only bring wealth to Europe but it would also civilize and educate the “savage” African natives. It shows that the European colonizers used the high ideals of colonization as a cover to allow them to collect whatever wealth they could from Africa. Unlike most novels, Heart of Darkness focus on the evils of colonialism, it also pays attention to the damage that colonization does to the souls of the white colonizers than it does to the black natives.

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