The Criticism Of Dehumanization In Conrad's Heart Of Darkness

1993 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The theme of imperialism in Heart of Darkness

In his somewhat famous criticism of Heart of Darkness, Chinua Achebe questions whether a “novel which celebrate this dehumanization, which depersonalizes a portion of the human race can be called a great work of art” (Achebe, 344). The Weavers, Heart of Darkness, and The Woman Warrior are all written works of art that critics, such as Achebe, would condemn for their dehumanization of particular groups. However, these critics overlook what makes these writings true art: their ability to have a positive impact. Works containing dehumanization do not celebrate this treatment of people; they point out flaws in society, creating awareness and the potential for change. Art is something that is created by skill and imagination that expresses important …show more content…

In the beginning of the novella, Marlow aunt praises Marlow for voyaging to Africa and “weaning those ignorant millions from their horrid ways” (Conrad, 7). The official purpose of imperialism was to bring light and civilization to other parts of the world. However, Marlow views the ideas of his aunt as ignorant, suggesting that he recognizes that this is not the true goal of imperialism (Bellal, 1). Far from its noble claims, the imperialism that Marlow describes is selfish and greedy. This is especially apparent in the way that the Europeans view ivory. “The word ‘ivory’ rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed. You would think they were praying to it” (Conrad, 27). Marlow goes as far as to describe the Europeans as pilgrims due to their obsession with ivory borders on mindless worship. It is also essential to note that the novella specifically focuses on a Belgian expedition. The Belgian king at the time, King Leopold, treated the Congo as his private treasury, and the Belgians had the reputation of being far and away the most cruel and rapacious of the colonial powers. The Belgians acted as through they wanted to use imperialism to civilize other countries but Belgian imperialism was itself far from civil (SparkNotes Editors,

Show More
Related

  • The Dispensable Nigger in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness

    587 Words  | 2 Pages

    Three Works Cited     The story is about a man named Marlow, who is hired by The Company, which is a shipping company located in England.  Although Marlow had sailed before, he had never sailed to Africa.  The people who operated The Company (those located in England) are so far removed from reality, that they have no concept of the devastation caused in order to ship vast loads of ivory.  The Company is a perfect example of how these profit driven industries obtain their wealth – through the blatant disregard of the environment and their fellow man.

    Read More

  • A Comparison of Heart of Darkness and Deliverance

    614 Words  | 2 Pages

    As Marlow travels farther and farther into the Congo, he finds that the hypocrisy of his fellow Europeans is far greater than he first imagined. His fellow white men butcher elephants and Africans in order to get their precious ivory, which gives them all a massive economic boost. They justify their corrupt actions as moral by dehumanizing the Africans that they kill and claim that they are merely primitive versions of white people. There is no compassion or sense of regret in the imperialists, despite their preaching of Christianity's teachings. In fact, money and power is placed at such a higher priority than morals, that "You would think they were praying to it" (Conrad 89) as if it was a god. The Europeans describe what they do as a form of "trade," and that their treatment of native Africans is part of a benevolent project of "civilization," but the truth is that they take what they want through extreme cruelty, oppr...

    Read More

  • Criticism In China Achebe's Heart Of Darkness

    737 Words  | 2 Pages

    As far as china Achebe's article of Heart of Darkness is considered, I disagree with his narrow approach towards Joseph Conrad's novel. Achebe does not take into account that Heart of Darkness is narrated from the perspective of the main characters Marlow who has never been exposed to the African culture before. As a result, Marlow does not aware of the African's way of living and also their traditions. The book contains several racist thoughts towards the Africans, but it also provides a deep sharp criticism towards the Europeans as well. Although the discrimination towards the Africana is obvious in the novel, but the readers must be aware of the historical text in which the novel was written.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness

    647 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the book “Heart of Darkness”, Joseph Conrad wrote about the horrors that were committed by Leopold’s regime. As one of the first insider to witness these horrors, he wrote “Heart of Darkness”, with this book, he was able to spread the word about the atrocities he had seen in Leopold’s greedy pursuit of rubber and ivory in the congo. This book details closely how Leopold made his humongous profit. Leopold issued decrees on the Congo such as that the native people may only trade with his state agents or with his concessions. Leopold’s concessions were private companies that would sell the ivory and rubber, they would give Leopold 50% of their profits. The Abir Congo Company was one of these concessions that harvest the natural rubber of the Congo.They were granted a large portion of the land in the north and had the right to impose a rubber tax on its inhabitants. It was through concessions like these but also from his personal company (the Congo Free State) that Leopold created his personal wealth. This book brings us one step closer to answering our question since it tells us how Leopold got ahold of all of his profits. But this brings us to another question of, exactly how much money did the Congo bring to Leopold II?

    Read More

  • The Heart of Darkness in Joseph Conrad

    1630 Words  | 4 Pages

    Joseph Conrad is the author of the novel, The Heart of Darkness, along with many other profound works. Compared on any scale, Conrad is nowhere near average. Joseph Conrad is a very interesting character who sees the world through wide eyes. By traveling the world and exploring the many walks of life he is able to discuss common global views and habits that include injustices which are explained in his renowned novel, The Heart of Darkness.

    Read More

  • Criticism In Joseph Conrad's The Heart Of Darkness

    1578 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Joseph Conrad’s short story “The Heart of Darkness” we see many comments and terms that directly relate to people of color and women. We see that Marlow doesn’t believe that women are equal to him, and how Europeans viewed colored people differently at the time. I wouldn’t say that story was racist or anti feministic due to the time period that it came out in. Viewing it today I can see why people view the story as being racist. As for being anti feministic there are only a few comment that really stood out to me. At times Conrad makes points in which he views

    Read More

  • Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Through a Freudian Lens

    1207 Words  | 3 Pages

    Without personal access to authors, readers are left to themselves to interpret literature. This can become challenging with more difficult texts, such as Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness. Fortunately, literary audiences are not abandoned to flounder in pieces such as this; active readers may look through many different lenses to see possible meanings in a work. For example, Conrad’s Heart of Darkness may be deciphered with a post-colonial, feminist, or archetypal mindset, or analyzed with Freudian psycho-analytic theory. The latter two would effectively reveal the greater roles of Kurtz and Marlow as the id and the ego, respectively, and offer the opportunity to draw a conclusion about the work as a whole.

    Read More

  • The Powerless In Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness

    583 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this case, Marlow would represent the colonized, the powerless, and the native people, while Mr. Kurtz’s intended embodies the colonizers, the powerful, and Europe. Even though Marlow has a strong grasp on the truth of Kurtz’s last words, he is obligated not to tell the truth. This can be equated to the fact that the truth behind imperialism is not to enlighten non-Europeans to the “better way” of living, like it is told to be, but it is rather to exploit those people who fall subject to the practice. The intended wanted to know what her husband-to-be said before he died, and instead of being real with Marlow and give him the chance to tell the truth, she puts him in a position to where he must succumb to her wishes and give her something she could live with. In reality, she, like most people whose country is a colonizing power, cannot handle the truth; the realities of imperialism were “too dark” for Europeans to handle. This is why The Company hid their true motives and practices from Europe. Mr. Kurtz’s document will never be released because the people in Europe cannot stand to hear that imperialism is a flawed system and it equates to murdering off the natives that they are trying to “help”. Mr. Kurtz was privy to the truth of the practice and it haunted him until his last breath. Taking these observation’s into account, Marlow’s lack of power due to the intendeds need for her truth, and the power she gained because of it, can amount to the conclusion that Conrad uses Marlow and the intended to depict the harsh imbalance in the colonial landscape in the end of the

    Read More

  • On The Genealogy Of Moralism In Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness

    1324 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 1887, two years before succumbing to utter madness, existential philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche writes his ethical polemic, On the Genealogy of Morals, in search of a man with the strength to evolve beyond humanity:

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Imperialism In The Heart Of Darkness By Joseph Conrad

    1169 Words  | 3 Pages

    In The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, a seaman named Marlow examines European imperialism before his very eyes and how it is affecting the natives in the area they are imperializing, which is the Belgian Congo. Conrad conveys to the reader that multiple people have multiple views on the natives and their habitat. On the other hand, Conrad also displays how the natives have different feelings for the Europeans that are intruding on their land. Through Marlow’s eyes, we see a very prospective view as he speaks of how he does not favor the treatment of the natives yet he does nothing to stop it. However, we are also able to see the viewpoints of others. Conrad shows us that the Europeans do not have feelings for the natives and their main motive is to gain more ivory.

    Read More

  • Critical Race Theory In Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness

    1989 Words  | 4 Pages

    Literary theory gives people the opportunity to look at texts from different perspectives. It’s a tool that deepens personal understanding of texts. “Literary theory is the set of concepts and intellectual assumptions on which rests the work of interpreting literary texts.” (Brenton, Vice) It gives people the opportunity to look at texts from different perspectives. We all comprehend texts, art, etc. and literary theory helps us to understand literature a little better than we did before. You might read something and find a lot of details that you missed when you didn’t have literary theory to help you. For example, you can read something and feel like you have a complete and total understanding of everything you read and be wrong. Not to

    Read More

  • Ambiguities Explored in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness

    1464 Words  | 3 Pages

    One interpretation of Marlow's relationship to colonialism is that he does not support it. Conrad writes, "They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now,-nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation, lying confusedly in the greenish gloom" (p. 27-28). Marlow says this and is stressing that the so-called "savages", or Africans, are being treated and punished like they are criminals or enemies when in fact they never did anything. He observes the slow torture of these people and is disgusted with it. Marlow feels sympathy for the black people being slaved around by the Europeans but doesn't do anything to change it because that is the way things are. One can see the sympathy by the way that he gives a starving black man one of his biscuits. "To tear treasure out of the bowels of the land was their desire, with no moral purpose at the back of it than there is in burglars breaking into a safe" (p. 54). This statement by Marlow conveys that he doesn't believe that the Europeans have a right to be stripping Africa of its riches. He views the Jungles of Africa as almost it's own living, breathing monster.

    Read More

  • Racism in Joseph Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness

    715 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness," Achebe takes notes the ways that Conrad degrades Africans by reducing their religious practices to misconception, belittling their complex geography to just a single mass of jungle, telling them to remain in their place, and taking away their capability of speaking. Achebe criticizes Joseph Conrad for his racist stereotypes towards the people of Africa. Achebe also sensibly labels these stereotypes and shows that Africa is in fact a rich land full of intelligent people who are, in fact, very human.

    Read More

  • Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness - A Modernist Novel

    505 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Imperialism in Heart of Darkness

    809 Words  | 2 Pages

    At the beginning of the novel, Marlow is traveling the jungle and the many scenes of life can be seen. Africa has seems to be taken over by many travelers which makes one wonder what is there ulterior motive? Africa is a third world country, which makes it easy for someone to come in and talk on their soapbox. It is very easy to tell that these men are not the biggest fans of colored people, so it is plausible that they have come to instill a sense of imperialism. As Marlow passes through the waters of the Congo it is easily visible the trouble of the natives. “Black shapes crouched, lay, sat between the trees, leaning against the trunks, clinging to the earth half coming out, half effaced with the dim light, in all the attitudes of pain, abandonment, and despair.” (20) Show that the holding of these colonies has started. The soldiers have come in and taken the inhabitants and are destroying them and taking from them the one thing they deserve over everything, life. The imperialists seem to not care about the Africans and are just there for their land.

    Read More

More about The Criticism Of Dehumanization In Conrad's Heart Of Darkness

Open Document