Theme Of Imperialism In Heart Of Darkness - 1662 Words

The Dehumanization of the World as a Result of New Imperialism In the age of New Imperialism, European nations rushed to gain advantage over ruling Africa, most specifically Congo, to expand economic prospects under the guise that they were civilizing the natives of these areas. The negative impacts of Europe in the Congo are supported in the novel, Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, who employs his narrative to showcase how the drive for Imperialism stripped away the humane reasoning for colonizing the Congo, as the protagonist is brought face to face with the horrors of this colonization. The novel’s themes are furthered by first-hand account articles that depict the violence that Conrad fictionalized to stress that Europe’s goal for†¦show more content†¦Ugly. (Conrad 36) Here, it is clear that like many other Europeans at this time, the protagonist, Marlow, views the natives often as less than to he and other white men. This correlates to the thinking of the time as other forms of literature held such sentiments. For example, â€Å"The White Man’s Burden† a poem written by Rudyard Kipling during the height of New Imperialism. Kipling discusses the â€Å"burden† white men must undertake to raise the natives of their colonies out of their own destitution as a result of their lack of morals, â€Å"Take up the White Man’s Burden/†¦Through all the thankless years,/ Cold-edged with dear-bought wisdom,/ The judgment of your peers!† (Kipling 177). Kipling clearly supports the idea of civilizing that many European nations promoted as their main desire as a result of Imperialism. While many may have believed that, especially missionaries that were created to educate and help suffering natives of the Congo. Most Europeans used this as an excuse to oppress the natives to promote capitalistic goals. Yet even the altruistic missions were tinged by the superiority complex intrinsic in most Europeans colonizing the Congo—most notably seen in a first-hand account â€Å"I might have gone on instructing the natives in religion, but as civilization and Christianity must go onShow MoreRelatedTheme Of Imperialism In Heart Of Darkness1052 Words   |  5 Pagesis is beneath the surface all throughout Joseph Conrad’s book, Heart of Darkness. The book is centered around a sailor named Marlow, who is sailing up the Congo river to transport ivory. Conrad shows the readers the exploitation of the natives by the Europeans for their ivory through the eyes of Marlow. The novel reaffirms Marxism through its ideas of imperialism. Imperialism is a theme throughout the entire book. Conrad kept this theme by portraying it through the imperialistic ways of the EuropeansRead More Theme of Colonialism and Imperialism in Conrads Heart of Darkness1008 Words   |  5 PagesThe Theme of Imperialism in Heart of Darkness       Of the themes in Conrads Heart of Darkness, imperialism and colonialism are probably the most important. While Heart of Darkness is actually set on the Thames River, the events Marlow describes are set on the Congo River. The Congo is the river that brought about the partition of Africa that occurred from 1880 to 1890 (McLynn 13). This event marked the beginning of the colonization of Africa. In 1884, European nations held a conference andRead MoreImperialism Within the Heart of Darkness1143 Words   |  5 PagesImperialism within the Heart of Darkness A phenomenon, The Heart of Darkness, is a classic novel by Joseph Conrad, who reward individuals with their dark nature. 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In this book, the author portrays the European ideas of civilizing Africa as well as the ideas of imperialism and racism.Read MoreSignificant Elements Of Joseph Conrad s Heart Of Darkness1326 Words   |  6 PagesConrad’s novella ‘Heart of Darkness’ are appropriated into Francis Ford Coppola’s film ‘Apocalypse Now’ in the setting of the jungles of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. As the title suggests, Conrad’s novel deeply explores the ‘darkness’ potentially inherent in people’s hearts. Heart of Darkness is set on the Congo River during the European occupation of Africa. Conrad ex plores the effect of exploitation on humanity. Similarly, Coppola’s film explores the metaphorical ‘darkness’ in Vietnam that causesRead MoreThe Journey In â€Å"Heart Of Darkness† Spans Not Only The Capricious1222 Words   |  5 PagesThe journey in â€Å"Heart of Darkness† spans not only the capricious waters extending our physical world, but also the perplexing ocean which exists in the heart of man. 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The majority of the plot unravels on the river, as the protagonist travel with a crew on a long, slow boat ride through dangerousRead MoreAnalysis of the Heart of Darkness Beginning982 Words   |  4 PagesWe are introduced to the novel â€Å"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 stre tched before us like the beginning of an interminable waterway in the offing the seas and the sky were welded together withoutRead MoreShakespeare s Heart Of Darkness1424 Words   |  6 Pages Relevance of Heart of Darkness Alexander Spirovski LITR 211 Professor David Auchter â€Æ' Joseph Conrad s Heart of Darkness contains both relevant and irrelevant elements to today s society. Issues present in the text such as imperialism, racism, and moral ambiguity are still present today but their formats have changed enough in society that Heart of Darkness approaches obsolescence in perspective. Concurrently, the characters and theme presented in Heart of Darkness are scarce in fictionalRead MoreThoughts Of Imperialism In Joseph Conrads Heart Of Darkness911 Words   |  4 PagesHeart of Darkness, what does it really mean, what can it signify? For all it matters, it has no meaning, but is just a phrase. By applying the following schools of theory, psychoanalysis, over analyzing texts, cultural studies which portray how readers consume the text and postcolonial which analyzes the â€Å"losers† perspective it helps to depict the novella of Heart Darkness. By using the schools of theory, it will analyze a multitude of perspective relating to the novella’s t heme of imperialism disastrous