Heart Of Darkness Colonialism Analysis

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In Joseph Conrad’s novella, Heart of Darkness, he expresses the horrors of European colonialism. Secondly, Conrad uses Marlow as the main protagonist to show the brutally from his own point of view. Thirdly, Conrad shows how Heart of Darkness shows the brutally and cruelty of European colonialism towards Congo and the natives. Throughout the novella, it explores the historical period of European colonialism in Congo to demonstrate Marlow’s struggles. Marlow, like other Europeans of his time is brought up to believe certain things about colonialism. The ideal mission of every European is to bring the “light” or civilization to the natives. Although Marlow’s views transformed as he experiences the effects of colonialism from his point of view. …show more content…
In Modern Critical interpretation Heart of Darkness Bloom and Cox said, “Conrad’s description of the wilderness depends on incremental repetition, on the resonance of drawn-out brooding sentences, on interweaving of darkness and light” (37). Bloom and Cox comments on how Conrad uses the wilderness as the perfect example to compare the darkness and light. He compares the descriptions to the natives and the Europeans throughout the Heart of Darkness. In addition Davis describes the image of mistreatment towards the natives, “Black rags were wound round their loins, and the short ends behind waggled to and fro like tails. 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” (46). This displays the abuse toward to the natives, and Marlow started to realize this. Since the Europeans came to the Congo, it seems like the natives are treated more like slaves than human beings. Belgium has one reason to come to the Congo, they are using the natives for only one commonality: ivory. In Modern Critical Views: Joseph Conrad Bloom and Melnick thought, “Kurtz entered the Congo service with the “highest” ideals and brilliant qualifications. He is motivated by a sense of pontifical superiority of the ‘savage’ nature of Africa and Africans. …show more content…
Also, he uses the Heart of Darkness as the key to expresses his attitude about the evil of colonialism by the brutally and cruelty towards the natives. Conrad accomplishes this by using Marlow as a device, and to show colonialism in the character’s point of view. Conrad created Marlow’s experiences by his struggles. At the end of the novella, Marlow realized that his views changed from the beginning. In his own experience Marlow sees how the effect that European colonialism can have on a man’s

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