Heart of Darkness
Since its publication in 1899, Joseph Conrad?s Heart of Darkness has undergone a great deal of controversy. Some have found the novel a great masterpiece of Western literature, while others take offense to its contents. One of the most controversial themes of the novel is that of racial degradation. Throughout Heart of Darkness we see a great deal of racism, and I believe this is due to him trying to point out the racism in society. In the novel, Conrad was trying to call attention to the problem of racism through his depiction of racial degradation of the African natives. Conrad was subject to racial tendencies due to the time period, but it is obvious through his actions and feelings of the character Marlow that his overall purpose of the racial degradation was to show society the unfair treatment colonization caused on the African Natives.At the beginning of Heart of Darkness lies the first sign that Marlow has compassion for the natives. In describing his journey into the African Congo to some fellow crew members on the Nelle, Marlow says, ?The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves
Deeper into the jungle, Marlow runs into a ?man-o-war.? When speaking of a camp of natives, the man calls them ?enemies? (1961). Shortly following, and after a personal encounter with some natives, Marlow says, ?these men could by no stretch of imagination be called enemies? (1968). They were innocent. The colonists came into Africa and drove the Natives over the edge. They invaded their country and without taking some sort of defensive action, the natives would certainly die. The heartless colonists were the real enemies and Conrad acknowledges this through Marlow. Obviously, his personal description lacks the racial slurs of Conrad?s time. He is actually saying that the natives, like ?ourselves? are different only because of their outer appearance. He also admits that the colonization of Africa was not a comforting thought when studied too deeply. Yes, the Europeans colonized the darkness and possessed a great deal of ivory, but if you look past what they gained you will find that the Africans lost their homes, their culture, and their lives. The natives were tortured because they lived in the path of colonization. Marlow?s compassionate description shows that Conrad was clearly trying to ask Europe?s people if they realized the damage and pain they caused the Africans. Certainly Conrad was not completely free from prejudice. He lived in a time when some forms of racism seemed almost natural. I believe Conrad felt he was doing good when he wrote Heart of Darkness by giving emphasis to the bitter struggles of the During his journey into the Congo, Marlow comes into contact with a chain gang. Conrad writes, ?They walked erect and slow?I could see every rib, the joints of their limbs were like knots in a rope; each had a collar on his neck and all were con
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Approximate Word count = 1205
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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