Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

When I read Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness, the language hinted to racism not from the standpoint of Conrad, but from Marlow,the protagonist and the other major and minor characters. This is why I can not commit to Achebe’s accusations for Conrad and his work because Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness is a product of its time. Achebe begins his argument with the comparison of the two rivers: Thames and The Congo. He writes: The b... ... middle of paper ... ... that exists within. Evidently, Achebe believes Conrad is a racist and his work is a product of his racism; however, I do not agree with this statement.

I will outline how the mental hierarchy inculcated by the Europeans paved the way for their “divide and conquer” tactic, a tool essential for European success. Through evidence from a primary source by Edgar Canisius and the novel, King Leopold’s Ghost, I will show how colonial influences heightened the victimization of Africans through psychological means. I will culminate by showing how Robert Collins fails to provide a holistic account of colonialism, due to his inability to factor in the use of psychological warfare as a means to the end. By dissecting the minds of both the colonizer and the colonized, I hope to illustrate the susceptibility of African minds to European influences and how psychological warfare transformed Africans from survivors to victims during colonialism. Africa’s struggle to maintain their sovereignty amidst the encroaching Europeans is as much a psychological battle as it is an economic and political one.

In addition, he also called for a type of “paternal” care for the people of Africa, regardless of race. It was seen as a philanthropic endeavor to help the people of the Congo to civilize by the use of legitimate trade. So we first see that the aspirations of this King of Belgium, on paper, where just and true. The story would become quite different as the ruthless king would start to harvest the precious materials of palm oil and rubber from Africa’s earth. King Leopold was not alone in this venture as well.

King Leopold II is a perfect example of European Imperialism and in his book King Leopold’s Ghost; Adam Hochschild details the effects that King Leopold II had on the Congo in Africa. Hochschild also argues that Leopold’s rule had an impact in the Congo

The book narrates of the seaman Marlow’s literal journey in the jungle of the Congo River in his quest for the puzzling Mr. Kurtz, a Belgian ivory merchant whose barbaric control and influence over the indigenous people had changed him into a corrupt and revolting despot. Conrad’s book is quite unconventional. The book is on the surface a dreamy narrative of adventures into the jungle in central Africa. However, depending on the context, the book is also a symbolic quest into man’s inner murky being. Marlow goes to Africa with the prejudiced racist ideas about the locals and an immense sense of superiority from Kurtz’s noble narratives on civilizing Africans.

For example, D.K Fieldhouse argued that there needed to be a “greater emphasis on economic reasons” as well as elements of “formal and informal empires” (Robinson and Gallagher) throughout the colonisation of Africa. In addition, by analysing the colonisation of diverse African coun... ... middle of paper ... ... Power, it is generally agreed that “if any nation had upset the world’s balance of power, it was Great Britain.” . Compared to countries such as Germany, Britain was not pursing in Africa purely for appearance and saving face. According to Kennedy, “nothing frightened Britain imperialists’ more than economic decline” because of the disastrous impact upon British power. It was argued that colonisation in Africa was used for “imperial defence” It would “fight for the preservation of the European balance of power.” This appears to support Taylor’s claim that the balance of European power was delicately composed, therefore the colonisation in Africa did not occur for economic interests.

Marlow is asked by "the company", the organization for whom he works, to travel to the Congo river and report back to them about Mr. Kurtz, a top notch officer of theirs. When he sets sail, he doesn't know what to expect. When his journey is completed, this little "trip" will have changed Marlow forever. Heart of Darkness is a story of one man's journey through the African Congo and the "enlightenment" of his soul. It begins with Charlie Marlow, along with a few of his comrades, cruising aboard the Nellie, a traditional sailboat.

Heart of Darkness as a Racist Novel Because of Conrad's constant use of light and dark imagery in this novel, it can be difficult at times to ascertain whether his use of this imagery is meant in a racist manner, or whether he is using it simply to show how the Europeans actions are bigoted because of their naivety, or their seeming overwhelmed ness due to the new and strange landscape they have conquered, and their actions are a result of over eagerness on their behalf to civilize the blacks. The River Congo is compared to the River Thames in the book because Marlow is telling the story while they are sitting at the bottom of the Thames, yet his story takes place on the Congo. Right off, there is a comparison between two different rivers. The Thames is suggested as a peaceful, tranquil river while the Congo, considered the antithesis of the Thames, has quite a different atmosphere. We are told that "Going up that river was like traveling back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings."

Conrad followed in the footsteps of infamous racist in figures, King Leopold II in particular for his barbaric treatment of Africans in the Congo. Achebe also accused Conrad of being “a thoroughgoing racist,” which I do not agree with. While I do think that Conrad certainly was a racist, he did not take that racism to the extremity that others, such as King Leopold II, did. In Heart of Darkness, Conrad made it clear that he was a racist, but did not carry that racism out to the fullest extent possible.

This paper attempts to highlight the differences and similarities in these novels by exploring the underlying themes and unusual circumstances portrayed in them. Thesis The novels Things Fall Apart and Heart of Darkness are illustrations of the baser aspects of human nature, both in their content and the manner in which they deal with the subject of subjugation, violence, and suffering during historical interracial confluences. This fact is illus... ... middle of paper ... ... Heart of Darkness presents the fear of the white man and his difficulty in viewing the Africans as people from his own race. Things Fall Apart, on the other hand, criticizes this impressionistic stance. Clearly, the different origins and backgrounds of the authors has influenced the different perspectives in the books.