...The “Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad, takes a look into imperialism through the eyes of its main character Marlow. Conrad used this story to condemn King Leopold II’s exploitation of the Congo and imperialistic views. Unlike capital rich imperialism, which seeks long term sustainment, King Leopold’s capital poor imperialism allowed for hasty exploitation of easily obtained resources through forced labor. The story takes a powerful look at the cruel and inefficient exploitation of natives by the “civilized societies”. This essay will discuss Conrad’s distain for imperialistic societies as seen in “Heart of Darkness”, and how these criticisms are relevant in contemporary societies. The story “Heart of Darkness” explores the issues and hypocrisy...
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...Heart of Darkness is based in the late nineteenth century, a time period in which imperialism was commonly practiced by several Eastern countries. The concept of conquering foreign nations was idealized and seen as a noble and just cause, sometimes even thought of a burden for the white man. Thus, with this idea in mind, Europeans traveled to the Congo with the “good” intention of bringing civilization to the natives; however, it is seen clearly in the novel that the help these outsiders are willing to provide is not necessary or beneficial to anyone besides themselves. Ironically, the Europeans have the least restraint and are the least civilized in the novel, presenting the idea that there is a direct relationship between the two themes....
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...In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad uses contrasts and ironies between the native Africans and the intrusive Europeans to prove that Civilization is not truly civilized. The Europeans claim to be in the Congo to “civilize” the “savage” natives, yet they are far from paragons of civility. The Europeans are violent, greedy, and extensively lazy while the natives show restraint, non-violence, and reluctant yet exemplary work ethic. Although the Europeans have enslaved the natives of the Congo, they themselves are slaves to greed. Marlow describes them best when he refers to them as “greedy phantoms” (137). The pilgrims and the company employees share a common goal, profit. They drift about day to day, unorderly, collecting ivory from their...
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...Darkness inside Human Mind Joseph Conrad, who wrote The Heart of Darkness, once said, “The mind of man is capable of anything.” What he is telling us was that a person will do any actions by any means regardless of its consequence. There is always an evil side living inside the human soul, and this evil side breaks out during times when there is a difference in culture; for example, during World War II, Nazis killed any Jews that appeared in Europe, and their reason was Jews were not considered Germans, and they were believed to be disloyal and untrustworthy. This shows the difference in culture that created darkness inside the mind of the Nazis, who told them to do unimaginable things. The madness, fear, imperialism, death, escape, and difference in culture are the main theme of Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now; although they were written in different times, settings, and purposes, they both express how savage the human mind can be when he confronts with darkness. Both the novel Heart of Darkness and the film Apocalypse Now address the idea of imperialism. Imperialism, defining as a country’s political, military, and economic domination over another, is the theme that talk thoroughly in both works. For instance, in Heart of Darkness, richer nations are robbing the goods in Africa, such as ivory and slaves, while in Apocalypse Now America is trying to subvert Vietnam from being Communism. A modern example that relate to the idea of imperialism is America showing assistant...
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...A TWO-PAGE RESPONSE TO CONRAD’S HEART OF DARKNESS This paper seeks to give a response to Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. Heart of Darkness centers on Marlow and his journey up on the Congo River to meet Kurtz, a civilizer. His quest reveals dehumanizing effects of colonialism and brutalities meted upon the people of Congo by the company’s agents and, he finally learns the truth about Kurtz, a universal genius. Colonialism, imperialism, savagery verses civilization, and racism are the most common issues explored in the book. My major appreciation of the novel lies in how Conrad presents the theme – the horrors associated with imperialism. His concrete descriptions paint various pictures that make it so real for readers to imagine and feel the pain and trauma of the natives of Congo during the era of colonialism. Imperialism is defined as the policy of forcefully extending a nation’s authority by the establishment of economic and political dominance (The Chambers Dictionary). Some textual evidence of the theme, horrors associated with imperialism, are presented below: Forthwith, the natives were made slaves by their colonial masters and were treated as savages. Marlow confirms this, ‘A slight clinking behind me made me turn my head…and all were connected together with a chain whose bights swung between them rhythmically clinking’ (p. 10). Another instance is revealed in the text by Marlow. He becomes the eye of narration for Conrad, and this process further adds to the many revelations...
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...Heart of Darkness Imperialism has always had certain negative effects. Not only are the victims of imperialism exploited economically but they are often bound to experience racism. The natives are forced to abandon their political and spiritual views to learn the ways of the imperialists. In Joseph Conrad's novel Heart of Darkness, Conrad describes the negative consequences affiliated with imperialism for not only the indigenous people, but also the imperialists themselves. In the beginning of the novel Heart of Darkness, Conrad shows that the British believed their imperialism had a positive influence on the Congolese by introducing them to civilization and the British way of life. "Hunters for gold or pursuers of fame, they all had gone out on that stream, bearing the sword, and often the torch, messengers of the might within the land, bearers of a spark from the sacred fire. What greatness had not floated on the ebb of that river into the mystery of an unknown earth! … The dreams of men, the seed of commonwealths, the germs of empires." (pp. 2-3 ll. 29-2). This is an optimistic statement describing the British mentality. They assume that they are imperializing for helpful reasons when they are truthfully just attempting to obtain Congo's resources. Marlow undermines the good intentions of the explorers. In the quote, "Mind, none of us would feel [...] at the back of it; not a sentimental pretence but an idea; and an unselfish belief in the idea." (pp. 4-5 ll. 26-5), Marlow...
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...We are introduced to the novel “Heart of Darkness”, with the words ‘The Nellie, a cruising yawl’, indicating that already at his early stage in the novel, the reader is able to predict that this will be a book set on a boat, and is likely to involve travelling across sea’s. This prediction can be backed up by the lines in the second paragraph, ‘The sea-reach of the Thames stretched before us like the beginning of an interminable waterway in the offing the seas and the sky were welded together without a joint’. This line conveys to the reader the boat and crews current location, it being the Thames, but also where they are going. This is stated by the words ‘The sea-reach of the Thames stretched before us like the beginning of an interminable waterway’, telling the reader that they are using it as a waterway, a passage to the sea, and then ocean. This is further conveyed by the fact Conrad writes “the seas and sky were welded together without a joint’. When you see the sea and sky appear to join together, it means you are looking into the horizon. Often, people look into the horizon on the start of a long journey, in anticipation of the new experiences they are going to face, so this line could indicate his excitement he now holds, because of what he will see. Secondly, throughout this opening passage, there is a constant theme of exploration. Firstly, the sheer fact they are on a ‘cruising yawl’ indicates that they are going to explore foreign lands, as ships were the form...
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...LITR211 16 February 2014 Heart of Darkness Criticism Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is a novella that despite its short length constructs a tale that is as dense and complex as the undergrowth of the jungle through which the main character travels. The tale, which begins as a frame narrative on the Thames in London, chronicles Charlie Marlow’s descent from Belgium into the heart of Africa in search of Kurtz, the infamous chief of the inner station. As Marlow travels through Africa, we are treated to a wildly different view of Africa then we typically see in popular culture, with the book portraying the harsh realities of Colonialism while also creating an atmosphere of dread and horror. This atmosphere is incredibly critical to the way in which we view the story, which has been criticized both as a racist text and as the first truly critical account of Imperialism. The journey culminates at the inner station where Marlow meets the legendary Kurtz, a character so complex that critics are still analyzing his purpose in the story. Heart of Darkness, is certainly one of the most polarizing novels of the last few centuries, with critical essays singing its praises and damning its aesthetics being almost equal in sheer volume. The watershed of criticisms towards Conrad’s visionary novella burst with Chinua Achebe’s scathing write up of the story, with its famous defaming of Conrad as a “bloody racist” (Achebe 343), that ends with the suggestion that it be banned from student...
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...Apocalypse Now-Heart of Darkness Apocalypse Now was set in Vietnam 1968. At this time the Vietnam War was controversial. The American antiwar movement was gaining power. John Milius wrote the original screenplay based on Conrad’s Heart of Darkness but updated it to take place during the Vietnam War. During both times there was a great undertaking of territory. The Congo was being acquired by European presence in Heart of Darkness. As Conrad’s experience took him into the Congo; he observed firsthand knowledge of the atrocities of European imperialism. He witnessed the enslavement of a society and the rich wealth of the ivory trade. In Apocalypse Now it was the American presence for South Vietnams independence that was at stake. America became involved in the conflict between North and South Vietnam because its policy makers feared the spread of communism. American young men were sent by the thousands every month to Vietnam. Thousands of innocent people lost their lives. The main theme of both Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now are based on a man that is known as a great military leader, and has a dossier full of accomplishments. Kurtz, which has been overtaken with darkness. His mind is not that of someone who is thinking straight. Kurtz in Heart of Darkness turns out to be emaciated and weak when Marlow first gets to see him and Kurtz in Apocalypse Now a strong figure with a sinister presence when encountered by Willard. In Apocalypse Now Kurtz is in Cambodia with...
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...Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. N.p.: n.p., 1899. Print. Pedot, Richard. "Heart of Darkness" De Joseph Conrad: Le Sceau De L'inhumain. Paris: Éd. Du Temps, 2003. Print. Barringer, T. J., and Tom Flynn. Colonialism and the Object: Empire, Material Culture, and the Museum. London: Routledge, 1998. Print. Said, Edward W. Culture and Imperialism. New York: Knopf, 1993. Print. Zins, H. S. Joseph Conrad and British Critics of Colonialism. Vol. 12. N.p.: n.p., 1998. Print. BBC Company. Melvyn Bragg, n.d. Radio. Phillips, Caryl, and Renée Schatteman. Conversations with Caryl Phillips. Jackson: U of Mississippi, 2009. Print. Phillips, Caryl, and Chinua Achebe. "Was Joseph Conrad Really a Racist?"Philosophia Africana 10.1 (2007): 59-66. Web. Farn, Regelind. Colonial and Postcolonial Rewritings of "Heart of Darkness": A Century of Dialogue with Joseph Conrad. N.p.: n.p., 2005. Print Goonetilleke, D.C.R.A. Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness: A Routledge Study Guide. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print Linfords, Bernth, ed. Conversations with Chinua Achebe (Literary Conversations). N.p.: n.p., 1997. Print. Achebe, Chinua. "An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness'" Massachusetts Review. 18. 1977. Rpt. in Heart of Darkness, An Authoritative Text, background and Sources Criticism. 1961. 3rd ed. Ed. Robert Kimbrough, London: W. W Norton and Co., 1988, pp.251-261 Achebe, Chinua. Thing Fall Apart. N.p.: n.p., 1958. Print. Singh, Francis B. "The Colonialistic Bias Aspects of...
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...Heart of Darkness is a book mostly narrated by Marlow, a very introverted sailor. The book focused on his voyage through the Congo River to meet Kurtz (who had a reputation to be a idealist legend and a man of great means). Marlow gets hired as a riverboat captain for a Belgian company whose interest lies in making profits by trading in the Congo colony. During his journey through Africa followed by Congo, he is whiteness to multiple inequalities, lack of maintenance and brutalities in the Company’s stations. His journey makes him mature as an individual as he is confronted with many physical and emotional conflicts with a variety of characters, “cultivated or savages”. At the time Heart of Darkness was written, the British Empire was at its...
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...Heart of Darkness illustrates three different depictions of women. These depictions are the naive woman, the mysterious woman, and the wealthy and influential woman. The sparse mentionings of women reveal the way the writer views their significance. They are never given names and are briefly mentioned throughout his work. In Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness, women are hardly mentioned but play a significant role in revealing the different aspects of imperialistic Europe. One of the women that are mentioned by Conrad is the naive woman, who is called The Intended. The Intended is Kurtz’s fiancee and only appears for a brief moment. She is symbolic for what the Europeans believed imperialism to be. The Europeans saw imperialism to be the colonization and civilization of Africa. In reality, the imperialists were in Africa raping it of ivory and working the natives to death. Furthermore, the Intended only saw the good in Kurtz. “And all this, she went on mournfully, of all his promise and all his greatness, of his generous mind, of his noble heart, nothing remains nothing but a memory”(94-95). The Intended seemed to worship the ground Kurtz walked on, for she says “‘I would have treasured...
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...the message that the Africans are savages and that Africa itself is a place of no order and no civilization. To begin, on page 17 of Heart of Darkness, Conrad has his protagonist Marlow describe the Africans in many inhumane ways. “Black shapes crouched, lay, sat between the trees, leaning against the trunks, clinging to the earth in all attitudes of pain, abandonment, and despair they were nothing earthly now, nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation One of these creatures rose to his hands and knees and went off on all fours towards the river to drink.” After calling the African people creatures and shadows of disease and starvation, it was apparent that Conrad definitely did not think of the Africans as human beings. This portrayal shows the natives as "shadows" and unearthly "creatures," not as dying and sick men. The men are not other human beings, but in fact incoherent shapes with no humanizing characteristic to classify one man from another, which furthermore makes the indigenous Africans people into animals. Although the story has many different statements such as the one above, due to the time period of this story, I do not believe that it can be seen as racist. In our time, statements such as these would be seen as complete and utter racism and totally unacceptable. However, at the time of when Heart of Darkness was written, things like these were not only said, but also widely accepted. For this reason, I believe that now obviously this would be...
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...Throughout the two novels, Thomas Hardy’s “Tess of the d’Urbervilles” and Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness,” the common theme of oppression by using psychological methods prevails. Tess’ parents and Alec can control her by leveraging guilt as a way of victimization which ultimately seals her fate. Mr. Kurtz in” Heart of Darkness” takes control over the weaker African natives to force them into submission. Both stories have this underlying theme of power and domination resulting in feelings of slavery and victims of fate. “Tess of the d’Urbervilles” is a tale of the tragic life of Tess that results when she accidentally kills Prince, the family horse. Tess’ parents use the guilt that she feels to exploit her and force her to work for the family. Therefore, she encounters Alec, who ultimately rapes and impregnates Tess. Instead of Alec being condemned for his actions, Tess is publically criticized and cast aside for this act, even though she was the victim. The cruel hand of fate hangs over all the characters and actions of the novel, as Tess’ story is defined by the bad things that happen to her. Thomas Hardy himself, as the author of the book, naturally causes the many unfair coincidences and plot twists that beset Tess, however as the person telling the story, he also manages to appear as her only champion against an unjust world. Tess's difficult situations are described as mere sport for the "President of the People who will never die," which is very...
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...APOCALYPSE NOW ←Page-to-Screen Adaptation→ John Milius’s original screenplay moved Joseph Conrad’s 1898 novella Heart of Darkness from colonial Africa to the heart of the Vietnam War in the late 1960s. Although Milius made drastic changes, he left the basic structure intact: a man travels upriver to face an evil genius and, along the way, must face his fears, his mortality, and the possibility that he will go slowly insane. Director Francis Ford Coppola in turn embellished Milius’s screenplay to make it more closely mirror Conrad’s book, cutting scenes, adding others, and demanding a great deal of improvisation from his actors. Milius and Coppola therefore shared the film’s screenwriting credit. Author Michael Herr, who wrote a notable collection of Vietnam War articles entitled Dispatches, also received a writing credit for penning the film’s narration. In addition to switching the setting, Milius renamed or modified nearly all of Conrad’s characters (aside from Kurtz). Conrad’s protagonist, Marlow, a pensive sailor on a quest to meet the ostensibly great, multitalented thinker Kurtz, becomes Milius’s Army Captain Benjamin Willard, an emotionally scarred Special Forces operative on a classified mission to terminate Kurtz. Milius’s Kurtz was an outstanding military officer who has apparently gone crazy. As the film opens, he leads a small colony in Cambodia, relying on “unsound methods” for imperious control. Moreover, Kurtz as portrayed by actor Marlon Brando is drastically...
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