Heart of Darkness
Upon close examination of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, one is forced to consider the prevalent themes that arise through Conrad's words. Many of the themes found in the novella are issues that were relevant during Conrad's time. Heart of Darkness is a social commentary on some of these pressing issues of his day. One of the most striking characters in the novella, Mr. Kurtz, cries, as he lays dying, "The horror! The horror!" (Conrad 86). Kurtz is declaring how horrific the different aspects of his life corrupt and distort men. Some of these horrific elements found are: imperialism and colonization, racism and slavery, and the insatiable desire for money and power that often rules men's lives and corrupts their souls. All of these elements have disturbed Kurtz while he has resided in the Congo jungle and as he is about to pass from this life to the next, he releases his suppressed feelings through the strange words, "The horror! The horror!" (Page 86). The first issue that horrifies Kurtz and that is discussed by Conrad is the subject of colonization or imperialism. Imperialism could be defined as a systematic oppression using abhorrent violence. In simpler terms, the world's po
In contrast, the black woman is described as "savage," "superb," "wild-eyed," and "magnificent" (page 77). is not in the breasts of the black Africans but in all whites who countenance and engage in colonialistic enterprise" (Singh 270). He devoted everything he had to acquire more ivory, giving up his intended, his family, and the European "civilized" society. In his essay, "The Colonialistic Bias of Heart of Darkness," Frances B. He and his uncle wish to dispose of Kurtz to further along their career in the trading company and they are willing to do anything-ethical or otherwise-to progress up the corporate ladder and to gain power. Whether Conrad was against racism or supportive of racism is a controversial subject among scholars. They howled and leaped, and spun, and made horrid faces; but what thrilled you was just the thought of their humanity-like yours-the thought of your remote kinship with this wild and passionate uproar. He was driven by his quest for money, status, and prestige-all of which make men feel powerful. His ambition for riches in life was what killed him. Kurtz is the most productive ivory dealer in the company. As a child, he, along with his parents, was victims to the Russian colonialistic policies towards Poland. He became the best ivory dealer by using corrupt and dishonest means to get personal gain. Prejudice against dark-skinned people was the common way of thinking in his time, and Heart of Darkness is a critique of that common perception.
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Acceptance Essays
