The word “imperialism” comes from the Latin term imperium. It means "to command." Imperialism is the policy or act of extending a country’s power into other territories, or gaining control over another country’s politics or economics. Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is a large and effective critic of imperialism, which exposes the hypocrisy and tyranny of imperialism portrayed through the brutalities in Africa.
The
keynote of the theme of imperialism is struck at the very outset of Marlow’s
narration. Marlow speaks of the ancient Roman conquest of Britain. Their
conquest has always been associated with cruelty and brutality. To
Marlow:" 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, is not a
pretty thing ."
Conrad's
view of imperialism is reflected through Marlow. Marlow challenges the practice
of imperialism. " It
was just robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale, and men
going at it blind."
There is a hint of evil in Marlow's reference to the city of Brussels as
a “white
sepulcher". The
phrase "white
sepulcher" means
a place which is outwardly pleasant and righteous but inwardly impure, full of
corruptions and evils. The colonizers treated the Africans was more like slaves
rather than people. The evilness of imperialism s shown very well in this
quote: “As
Marlow travels from the Outer Station to the Central Station and finally up the
river to the Inner Station, he encounters scenes of torture, cruelty, and
near-slavery.’’ At
the very least, the incidental scenery of the book offers a harsh picture of
colonial enterprise.
As
we go through the novel we find that the sole purpose of the white men was to
indulge in the exploitation of ivory from the natives and brutality over them.
Thus "faithless
pilgrims", is
Marlow calls them. “They
do not work; they simply laze around and intrigue. Everyone is there for the
money; they have no higher principles or purpose in life.”
Through
the descriptions of Marlow in the novel, Conrad conveys to us the callousness
of the white man towards the natives. After getting down from the Swedish captain’s
steamer, Marlow sees some awful and grim sights. He sees a lot of people, ‘’mostly black and naked,
moving about like ants’’.
He
sees black figures crouching under the trees, leaning against the trunks, and
clinging to the earth, dying slowly. The Company had no qualms regarding the
mistreatment of the natives.
Conrad
not only exposes the futility and the failing of the Belgian imperialism over
the Congo but also reminds us of British imperialism in various countries of
his time. Today white imperialism has crumbled and most of the counties have
become independent. Conrad's accusation of imperialist rule in Congo had a
valuable message for both the exploiters and the exploited. In the business of
exploration, both exploiter and exploited are corrupted.
Colonialism
is an act of political and economic domination involving the control of a
country and its people by settlers from a foreign power. In Heart of Darkness, the
author, Joseph Conrad, explores the nature of colonialism. He reveals the
horrors of colonialism and is cynical of the entire process. He uses several
symbolic characters to accomplish this, including the shadowy and elusive
Kurtz, who represents all of Europe.
Joseph
Conrad shows that the very nature of colonialism has not changed much from
Roman times to his day, except that the tools and weapons used have become more
sophisticated. The main purpose and the results have stayed the same. Conrad
illuminates the secret evils of colonialism and the European capitalist
approach through Marlow’s journey up the Congo. A brief analysis of Colonialism
is stated below.
Purposes of Colonialism
Joseph
Conrad shows that one of the purposes of colonialism is the suppression of the
Native’s beliefs and traditional way of life. Conrad begins with a focus on
what the Company overtly tells the public: They are going into the Congo to
civilize the Natives. The Europeans, on face level, seek to convert the
inhabitants of the Congo to the European way of life.
Dominating Theme of Colonialism
White
colonialism is the primary concern of Heart of Darkness. The
novelist narrates the behavior of the white Europeans with very impressive and
effective touches. In this story, he accurately depicts white Europeans and the
natives of Congo under colonialism.
Ivory: A Symbol of Colonialism
Ivory
was a lucrative trade created by the Belgian company Abir Congo Company when
Belgian King Leopold II governed the Congo. Ivory was useless to natives but a
high-price commodity to the white men because of its usage in ornament
manufacturing. Thus, the motive of white men was to indulge in exploitation and
brutally extract ivory from the native people.
Natives Become Slaves of Colonizers
Joseph
Conrad explains that colonialism is a brutal and savage process. The Natives
are lulled into a false sense of security and then become slaves of the
European colonizers. To the Europeans, the Natives were valuable if they were
productive and supplied ivory and other goods.
Natives Are Neglected by European Colonizers
The
Europeans do not care about the health and working conditions of the Natives as
long as they are productive. They are left to fend for themselves and slowly
waste away, starving, unable to find food. Members of the populace are beaten
and hanged simply to serve as lessons to others around them to be obedient.
Selfishness of the White Men
In
the story, the manager often talks of having someone hanged so that he will
have no competition and be able to advance his career. All that is important to
him is the acquisition of money and power. To the Europeans, it is imperative
that they attain wealth, power, and prestige. They simply care about what works
for them and the betterment of their positions.
Mr. Kurtz's Failure to Uplift the Savages
Mr.
Kurtz is a classic example of a white colonialist male. He went to Congo to
civilize that region. However, the primary motive is really to collect ivory,
not to civilize people. He tried to rule that region in his own way and finally
realized he was a complete failure. He was in deep darkness on his deathbed and
realized his misdeeds to the native people.
In Heart of Darkness, the author,
Joseph Conrad, is disdainful of colonialism and seeks to educate an immature
and blinded society to the true nature and horrors of colonialism. Through
Marlow’s journey up the Congo and into the heart of darkness, the horrifying
tools of colonialism are laid bare, and the true purpose of colonialism and the
European capitalist approach are exposed.
