In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad displays the imperfections of Imperialism. Conrad uses symbols and contrasts to portray theses imperfections. The novel is about a young man traveling up a dangerous river in the heart of the jungle. He gets a job as a captain of a steamboat to collect ivory. As a newcomer to this position and to this part of the world, he discovers the gruesome truth about Imperialism. This young mans quest quickly changes from ivory to the truth and a quest for the soul. Conrad also points out that the savages are not always the dark people, but the whites that use cruel tactics to show their superiority towards the natives. Through the course of the novel Marlow finds out about the injustices done to the natives, but does nothing about it. This partially stems from his fear of being shamed or losing his position as captain. He knows the truth, but withholds it for his own selfish needs. Marlow totally ignores his self-conscious to protect himself. Instead of being a leader he just points his finger at his comrades.
. . .
Later, on the same page he confesses his shame of being a part of these terrible acts. He is basically learning a fact and turning his cheek and pointing his finger. The whole point of the journey
is for ivory, but it later becomes a personal quest. The truth is what the Manager fears and what Kurtz uses. 33)
This is the first sign of mistreatment towards the natives. This is the beginning of him realizing what he’s doing to other humans and himself.
Part of Marlow’s disregard for the native stems from his fear of not being accepted.
“After all, I also was a part of the great cause
of these high and just proceedings. Appalled, all Marlow can do is stand there and watch as he cringes in his boots. I could see every rib, the
joints of their limbs were like knots in a rope; each had
an iron collar on his neck, and all were connected together
with a chain whose bights swung between them,
rhythmically clinking. He fears that the other white men will verbally or physically harm him. Marlow’s actions indirectly cause innocent lives to be taken.
Approximate Word count =
727
Approximate Pages =
3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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