Throughout history, many individuals and or communities have experienced marginalization. These individuals and or communities have been oppressed not in just one part of the world, but many different parts of the world. Oppression can vary from colonialism and imperialism to marginalization. Even though, colonialism and imperialism go hand in hand they are different. Colonialism is when one nation rules over another and exploits the resources to benefit the ruling nation. Imperialism refers to the practice of where a nation extends their power by politically or economically taking control. While the marginalization’s of minorities was unavoidable given the idea of modernization, these minorities re-asserted their self-worth to overcome oppression.
Colonialism and imperialism was at its peak during the late nineteenth century. During this time, the African continent was partitioned by different European nations. In Heart of Darkness, author Joseph Conrad, explores this nature of colonial imperialism in African country, Congo. European nations were going to these African countries to “civilize” the natives of that continent. The European nations viewed the people of Congo as “savages.” “We were wanderers on a prehistoric earth, on an earth that wore the aspect of an unknown planet” (Conrad). This description from Conrad gives us the impression that the people of Congo were “prehistoric” and did not develop a sense of civilization. However, the Europeans were in Africa for the exploitation of resources. To the Europeans in Congo, “progress” meant the exploitation of the natives. Through the means of cruelty and treachery and violence, the Europeans took advantage of the innocent natives. Violence instilled fear in the natives and ...
... middle of paper ...
...reate this kind of condition, which can only be done through Swaraj.
Conclusively, the oppression of the minorities described by Conrad, Orwell, Eksteins, Kovaly, and Gandhi were all inevitable. From colonial imperialism to World War I, the ideas of progress caused the unavoidable oppression of the weaker groups. Whether the motive of the oppressor is exploitation of resources, imperial rule of a country, or liberation from old orders, the oppressors were definitely on track to dominate the inferior. The emergence of technologies, scientism, or social organization did not stop the oppressed from being oppressed. However, many minorities did re-assert or attempt to re-assert their self-worth. Some went to war to be liberated from old ideas, while others tried to peacefully overcome the rule of British. Therefore oppression was inevitable, and some did overcome it.
Like a trite high school scandal involving backstabbing friends and scheming girls, imperialism during the 19th century turned previously upright Europeans into treasure-seeking ogres willing to renege on their promises. As a British merchant marine who travelled to the Congo, Joseph Conrad witnessed his fellow imperialistic sailors partake in horrid acts, and his experiences induced him to write his chilling book Heart of Darkness. In this book, published in 1899, Marlow meets both a sycophantic manager seeking to advance up the corporate ladder and a vicious Kurtz willing to murder indiscriminately. Yet despite Kurtz’s paramount evilness, Marlow gives his loyalties to Kurtz instead of to the company manager since Kurtz always remains conscious about the atrocities he commits.
..."natives" feel obliged to test the imperialists’ authority (or lack thereof) as a means of keeping some control over their country. The imperialists believe that they are keeping control by acting resolutely, but as Orwell shows in "Shooting An Elephant", they put on this act to satisfy and appease the wishes of the "natives." In imperialism, the oppressed indirectly hold the actual power and control over those that falsely believe to be the oppressors.
The viewpoint of the European invasion of Africa, as seen through the eyes of Marlow in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, takes a dramatic turn. At first, Marlow sees through the European viewpoint, where the invasion is a heroic attempt to tame a mysterious culture, while reaping the rewards of the ivory trade. The descriptions of the natives are inhuman, monstrous and fearful. The shift in perception occurs as Marlow begins to see through the eyes of the natives. The result is compassion for an ancient civilization that is very much human in there fear of being conquered.
This oppression and discrimination is experienced through several forms of oppression including violence, racism classism and sexism not only at a personal level but also at the structural level. This high risk population is vulnerable for internalizing the oppression as an accepted norm. Mullaly believes that “people may be given certain rights but still be unable to exercise their rights due to particular social constraints based on class, gender, race and ethnicity.”
In most of the cases where oppression is involved, the people who are oppressed develop a
way the theme of oppression has changed was from its population or culture it targets.
Imperialism, Symbolism, and Materialism in Heart of Darkness. In Conrad's Heart of Darkness Marlow, the main character, symbolizes the positiveness of Imperialism. Marlow, as a character, realizes the evil that negative Imperialism has caused and decides it is truly unnecessary. When Marlow states, "I have got a heavenly mission to civilize you," he expresses his good intentions to help the Africans progress and advance.
oppression, or both. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to "peal off all the
The people of the Congo were at peace with their lifestyle until the white man (Europeans) came in the picture and brutally forced them to change. "Since then the whites have brought nothing but wars and misery to the Congo (16 Hochschild)." The European exploration was just a "philanthropic pretense to show off their work when in reality it was just to gain finical benefits for themselves. At first their approach to civilize the African people was peaceful until they realized the advantage they had over them. In the story the Heart of Darkness a character named Mr. Kurtz creates a pamphlet on how to control the African people he says: "We the whites, … must appear to them in the nature of supernatural beings … we can exert a power for good practically unbounded... and Exterminate all the brutes (Conrad 38)." All this means is that they will show all the ones that are willing to learn a few things to improve their lifestyle and murder all the ones that stand in the way of that because after "people fear what they do not understand and hate what they can not conqu...
Exploitation is when the dominant group benefits from the fruits of the oppressed group's labor. This is a strong way to show their power over them. Marginalization is the exclusion of the group from useful participation in social life and the deprivation of materials. Powerlessness is the absence of respect from others, authority, and status. In the Five Faces of Oppression, Young says, "The norms of respectability in our society are associated specifically with professional culture" (41). Oppressed groups have to prove their respectability to receive some kind of respect treatment. One way to earn the respect of others is to become a professional. Cultural imperialism is when the dominant groups sees the unprivileged group as invisible while they stereotyped them as "Other." Violence, which is a social practice, it is used against those who are in disadvantaged simply because they are member of that group. Those who use violence as a way to show their power most of the time receive a light or not
“ The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much.” (Conrad 65) So stated Marlow as though this was his justification for ravaging the Congo in his search for ivory. Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness shows the disparity between the European ideal of civilization and the reality of it as is evidenced by the domination, torture, exploitation and dehumanization of the African population. Heart of Darkness is indicative of the evil and greed in humanity as personified by Kurtz and Marlow.
Modernism began as a movement in that late 19th, early 20th centuries. Artists started to feel restricted by the styles and conventions of the Renaissance period. Thusly came the dawn of Modernism in many different forms, ranging from Impressionism to Cubism.
In the story Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, it follows a man, Marlow, who tells a story of himself going on a journey to retrieve the man he admires, Kurtz from a land. He talks about entering a foreign land and what he experienced and overheard on his way there. Kurtz was described as a man of eloquence. In his journey, Marlow experiences the man he admires lose restraint. Throughout the story, hints of imperialism and colonialism have been shown in the Heart of Darkness.
Throughout Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, a sense of imperialism is present. Imperialism is defined as “acquiring and holding colonies and dependencies”. Through the novel, many of the travels Marlow encounters contain imperialist ideas. The whole continent is used as a symbol for this theme. So therefore you can tell that imperialism is just as bad as the disease that many people get from the Congo, they become infected.
Greed corrupts even the most civilized of men. In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness this statement is entirely true. In his novel, the plot follows Charles Marlow, a sea captain, on his journey into the mysterious Congo Free State on the search for the enigmatic Mr. Kurtz. During his journey, Charles encounters disease, slavery, and mutilation at the hands of the Belgian colonial administrators. When Charles finally meets Kurtz he quickly sees Kurtz’s dark heart filled with lust and insanity. Joseph Conrad’s use of characterization and symbolism in his novel paints a gruesome picture of King Leopold’s criminal and horrific rule over the Congo and her people.