The Role of Colonialism in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness

The Role of Colonialism in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness

English Literature

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In Heart of Darkness, the protagonist, Marlow, says, “The conquest of the earth… is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much.” This statement highlights the cruelty and dehumanizing nature of colonialism, which is central to the novel’s theme.

Joseph Conrad uses the story to show how European imperialism harmed Africa. The novel explores how colonialism destroys both the colonizers and the colonized. It also criticizes the moral flaws of imperialism.

We will look at how colonialism plays a role in Heart of Darkness, focusing on its effects on both the colonizers and the colonized, and how Conrad comments on the darkness in human nature.

Colonialism: A Destructive Force

Heart of Darkness is set in the late 1800s, when European powers were competing to take control of Africa. The Europeans took the land and people’s resources for their own gain. Marlow, the protagonist, is sent to the Congo Free State.

His journey starts as a search for the “darkness” of Africa, but it eventually reveals the moral darkness in Europe itself. Conrad uses Marlow’s journey to show that colonialism is more than just taking land; it leads to a spiritual and moral decline for everyone involved.

In the novel, Europe is presented as “civilized” while Africa is called “savage,” a common idea used to justify colonial rule. However, Conrad challenges this view. He shows that the Europeans are just as corrupt, violent, and morally lost as the people they colonize.

Colonialism is shown as an exploitative system. The ivory trade, which is central to the Congo’s economy, symbolizes the greed and cruelty of the Europeans, who care more about profit than the lives of the native people.

The Colonizers: Moral Corruption

One of the most powerful parts of Heart of Darkness is how Conrad shows the colonizers’ moral decline. While imperialist literature often praises colonialism as a noble cause, Conrad gives a very different view. The Europeans in the novel are far from heroes. They are greedy, selfish, and cruel. The company’s leaders, like the General Manager and the brickmaker, only care about wealth and power. They treat the African people with hatred and violence, using them only to achieve their goals.

The most obvious example of this moral corruption is Kurtz. Kurtz starts as an idealistic man, hoping to bring “civilization” to Congo. But he ends up going mad, driven by power and greed. His downfall shows how colonialism corrupts even those with good intentions.

Kurtz’s journey represents the dangers of colonialism, not just for the colonized but for the colonizers too. By the time Marlow meets Kurtz, he has abandoned any idea of civilization. He rules over the native people like a tyrant, and the “pilgrims” worship him like a god. Kurtz’s descent into madness is a strong example of how colonialism destroys humanity.

Kurtz’s last words, “The horror! The horror!” reflect his realization of the evil in colonialism. He finally sees the moral emptiness in himself and the destruction caused by imperialism. His death represents the collapse of the European ideal of colonialism, revealing it as nothing but an illusion.

The Colonized: Victims of Exploitation

Although Heart of Darkness mainly focuses on the European characters, Conrad also gives a voice to the suffering of the colonized people. The African natives are shown as victims of an oppressive system that treats them as objects to be used. The violence they experience is shown clearly, especially through the descriptions of slave-like working conditions and brutal treatment.

In one scene, Marlow sees a group of African workers being forced to carry ivory through the jungle. The men are sick and weak, but they continue working for the Europeans. This image highlights the sharp contrast between the suffering of the African people and the greed of the European colonizers. It emphasizes the unfairness of the colonial system, where the lives of the natives only matter in how they help the European powers make money.

Though the novel doesn’t go into much detail about African culture, it shows how colonialism destroys the lives of the native people. The Europeans, in their quest for wealth, treat the Africans as tools for exploitation. The people lose their culture, their communities are destroyed, and their identities are erased.

The Darkness Within: Colonialism and Human Nature

On a deeper level, Heart of Darkness uses colonialism to explore the darker parts of human nature. The “darkness” in the novel is not just in Africa, but in the Europeans who come to exploit it. The brutal actions of colonialism are shown as the result of unchecked power and greed that lie within all humans. Conrad suggests that colonialism reflects this darkness in the human soul.

The novel challenges the idea of “civilization versus savagery,” a common argument used to justify colonialism. Conrad shows that the true savagery lies not in the people being colonized, but in the colonizers themselves.

As Marlow travels deeper into Congo, he becomes disillusioned with the idea of European civilization. He realizes that the Europeans are just as savage as the “natives” they claim to dominate. The line between civilization and barbarism becomes unclear, and Marlow begins to question what civilization really means.

The novel also explores the concept of the “other.” In colonial thinking, the African people are seen as “other,” as less than human, making them easy to exploit. However, Conrad complicates this by showing that the colonizers are flawed too. Marlow’s journey into the Congo becomes a journey into the “darkness” inside himself and the European colonial project. He understands that the true darkness is not in Africa, but in the imperialist system itself.

Conclusion

In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad critiques colonialism, showing it as a destructive force that leads to moral decay. Through the experiences of Marlow and Kurtz, Conrad reveals that colonialism harms not just the colonized but also the colonizers, exposing the darkness within human nature.

The novel challenges the idea of European superiority and the civilizing mission, showing that the real horror lies in the exploitation and violence at the heart of colonialism. By exploring the psychological and moral costs of imperialism, Conrad asks readers to think about the true cost of colonialism for both the colonized and the colonizers.

In the end, Heart of Darkness reminds us of the darkness that arises when power, greed, and the desire for domination are allowed to grow unchecked.

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