The Imperial Aspect of Heart of Darkness

A detailed Summary of The Imperial Aspect of Heart of Darkness

Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is the tale of Charlie Marlow, a sailor whose journey is through the African Congo in search of ivory; however, the story is told on a boat at the mouth of the Thames River. The protagonist in Heart of Darkness not only tells the story of his journey through the African Congo, but also personifies the European imperial attitude at the time of the novella's release in 1902. Conrad uses Marlow, Kurtz and the listeners aboard the Nellie as "advocates" of a free and independent world while he uses the villainous manager and the immaculately- dressed, workaholic accountant to represent the majority of Europeans who, at the time, favored overseas expansionism. Imperialism is the central focus of the novella revealed through the protagonist's and antagonists perspectives.

While passing through the Thames with a group of other sailors, Marlow reminisces about how the land was once a place of darkness and uncivilized inhabitants. Beginning his story at dusk and finishing it in full darkness, Marlow speaks of how his dear aunt commissioned him a job aboard the fleet and of how he was sent down as an "emissary of light" to bring solace and transformation to an otherwise backward nation. His resp

As mentioned in his analysis of the novella, Edward W. Said says "Heart Of Darkness works so effectively because its politics and aesthetics are, so to speak, imperialistic, which in the closing years of the nineteenth century seemed to be at the same time an aesthetic, politic, and even epistemology inevitable and unavoidable." (1503) By this statement Said is confirming that the characters and setting epitomize imperialism and that having been through the quest for expansionism himself, Conrad is simply enveloping the audience in the realism of European thought during this time period as opposed to Achebe's argument which says that Conrad is a blatant racist.

onsibility to the people of the Congo is evident when he sees the condition that the natives are in. In the beginning of the novella Marlow is repulsed by the state of the poor and starving people but after seeing a group of dying African men, Marlow becomes compassionate and searches for food to give to the men who are victims of exploitative labor. This is the point when Marlow's character becomes similar to Kurtz's in that he realizes the harm the traders have done to the natives and begins feeling guilty.

Marlow thinks that "conquering" the jungle for all its ivory is an arduous task after seeing a battle

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Approximate Word count = 867
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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The Imperial Aspect of Heart of Darkness

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