The Objectification Of Women In Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness

Modern historians have come to agreement that prostitution is the oldest profession in the book. This shocking, but simultaneously palpable, fact is enough to prove that the objectification of women has been a norm since the beginning of mankind. Through the narration of Charles Marlow, Heart of Darkness author Joseph Conrad portrays females as seemingly less human than their male counterparts, thus showing readers that the inherent discrimination of women is a universal issue that has persisted through time and across many cultures. One of the first instances in which Marlow describes an interaction between himself and a female character is during his time spent describing his search for a job in the Congo. After deciding to work in the Trading

Marlow first sees the mistress after reaching the station. Watching her pace back and forth on shore, he takes particular interest in the many ornaments that she wears, guessing that she “must have had the value of several elephant tusks upon her.” (Conrad, 54-55). Her extravagant decorations give Kurtz the means to assert his dominance over the natives in many ways. For example, it not only shows off his riches in comparison to others but also lays claim to the woman. By using her body as a way to advertise his power, Kurtz downgrades his mistress from a person that he cares for, to a piece of property. In addition, the Russian actively leaves out the word “mistress” when describing Kurtz’s relationship with her, even though he makes it clear that they are on an intimate level. His reluctance to admit to such things further emphasizes Kurtz’s inherent misogyny especially in regards to his mistress. For instance, though Kurtz’s insanity and depravity can be attributed to the traditional European society that he tries so hard to reject, his relationship with the mistress is built upon the same characteristics of said European lifestyle-- romance, manipulation, and objectification of women. The mistress’s unwillingness for Kurtz to leave the station shows that there was some romantic connection between them. However, his many expensive gifts shows his objectification of her body into his property. This in turn calls attention to the manipulation that Kurtz put his mistress through in order for her to allow him to lay ownership to it. The fact that Kurtz sees the mistress as a symbol of power rather than a human being shows the ease and familiarity in which men pigeonhole women down to simple archetypes and lay claim to their