Heart of Darkness: An Anti-Imperialist Text
             In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad presents many instances of racist commentary that portray a devaluation of the Congo inhabitants. Oftentimes Europeans are depicted as individuals that are superior to and more human than the Africans. The distinction between a purely racist novel and a novel where racism is used as a means of sending a message is whether or not the dehumanization occurs for a separate purpose. In the book, the character of Marlow acts as the storyteller and presents the racist statements; he may be a character Conrad presents for critical purposes, and may or may not be a reflection of his personal views. Regardless of whether Conrad was racist himself, Heart of Darkness ultimately reads as a criticism of European imperialism. In recounting all aspects of the values he criticizes, the author reveals what is wrong with imperialism. The racism in the novel is used in context of the darkness that is found in all humans - not simply evil, but a primitive element that remains from human beginnings. The Congo in Africa is home to dark native peoples that are portrayed with a natural, primal quality, a stark contrast to the civilizations in Europe. This is the setting for British imperialism at work. It is therefore the setting where the supposed sophistication of civilized men is deconstructed, and all men are revealed to share a common darkness. Africa and its inhabitants show an external darkness, while it is revealed that the colonizers contain darkness within. Heart of Darkness is a criticism of imperialism that uses the metaphor of darkness in the human heart to show the similarity between cultural groups perceived as different; elements of racism are used inside the darkness metaphor to emphasize anti-imperialism.
             Darkness and its opposite, light, are contrasted in Heart of Darkness to reveal the irony of imperialism. Traditionally, light and darkness represent civili...