In this paper, I would like to examine how Conrad's Heart of Darkness has played an important role in exposing the brutal reality of Belgian colonialism of the Congo Free State under the pretence of a civilizing mission . The study focuses on how historicizing Conrad's Heart of Darkness has been instrumental in uncovering atrocities committed by King Leopold II's agents in their desperate scramble for the rich resources of Congo like ivory and rubber. King Leopold II's atrocities may account for the death of almost ten million Congolese natives, a crime of a genocidal scale which has terribly affected the future of the Congo and its people till today. Conrad renders his own anti colonial critique through his central character, …show more content…
These campaigns are also seen as a noble cause motivated by the call of duty and Victorian moral ethics .In 1890, Joseph Conrad ,appointed to serve as the captain of a steamer on the Congo River by a Belgian trading company, has sailed on a ship carrying the first batch of rails and ties for the building of a railway over the Crystal Mountains from the sea to Stanley Pool, from which boat steamers can reach into the heart of Africa. In regard to the railway over the Crystal Mountains, it is king Leopold II who has convinced ,recruited and financed Henry Stanely's plan of building the railway in order to control every part of Congo. Stanley "would first set up a base near the river's mouth and then construct a road around the rapids, through the rugged Crystal Mountains-a precursor to a railway" (Hochschild ,1999,p.38) Joseph Conrad's trip to the Congo has arguably been an eye opening experience for him. During his journey, Conrad has noted "evidence of atrocities, exploitation, inefficiency, and hypocrisy, and it fully convinced him of the disparity between imperialism's rhetoric and the harshest reality" (Watts, 1996,p.48) of plundering and looting. Conrad …show more content…
Leopold is able to claim the Congo by lobbying, maneuvering and convincing the European powers like Britain, France and Germany that he is involved in a philanthropic and civilizing mission in the Congo. In his opening address of the conference in Brussels, King Leopold II explains that the conference's aim is "to open to civilization the only part of our globe which it has not yet penetrated, to pierce the darkness which hangs over entire peoples, is, I dare say, a crusade worthy of this century of progress."(Hochschild, 1999,p.44) For Leopold , it is a holy mission to enlighten and civilize the lives of the Congolese natives. Hence, through the use of several sham organizations, Leopold has been able to lay claim on the Congo which is almost the size of Europe. Within this context, Peter Eichstaedt (2011) argues by claiming the Democratic Republic of the Congo as his personal property in the 1870s, he
The book mainly chronicles the efforts of King Leopold II of Belgium which is to make the Congo into a colonial empire. During the period that the European powers were carving up Africa, King Leopold II of Belgium seized for himself the vast and mostly unexplored territory surrounding the Congo River.
Leopold paid a large monthly price to a journalist to ensure a stream of sympathetic articles about his activities in the Congo. The French did not feel threatened by Belgium or by Leopold’s claims. Their main fear was that when the king ran out of money, as they were sure he would, in his expensive plan to build a railway, he might sell the whole territory to their rival, Britain. When talking to the British, Leopold hinted that if he didn’t get all the land he wanted, he would leave Africa completely, which meant he would sell the Congo to France. The bluff worked, and Britain gave in. Staff in place and tools in hand, Leopold set out to build the infrastructure necessary to exploit his colony. Leopold’s will treated the Congo as if it were just a piece of uninhabited land to be disposed of by its owner. Leopold established the capital of his new Congo state at the port town of
The king himself then secretly bought the Congo, and supported an expedition led by Henry Morton Stanly. Stanly was an American who fought in the Civil War, deserted, became a journalist and then became an explorer. He was a ruthless, evil man, for he said “. continual combat was always a part of exploring”. He would kill up to hundreds of people and burn several towns and villages in his wake.
Imperialism has been a constant oppressive force upon societies dating back hundreds of years. Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, illustrates this oppression by providing an instance of its occurrence in the Congo of Africa, while simultaneously setting the stage for The Poisonwood Bible, which is essentially the continuation of the story. The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver, demonstrates how the Congo is still affected by modern circumstances and ideology. Conrad’s novella acts as a sort of precursor to the events later depicted in Kingsolver’s novel, and this very connection between the stories illustrates the perpetual oppression of imperialism. This oppression is shown through the characterization of the pivotal characters of each respective text.
As a political figure, King Leopold of Belgium had minimal power, yet he acknowledged the political and financial advantages of colonization, and acquired the Congo as a private colony whereas Britain snatched up colonies globally, including the “crown jewel” of all colonies, India. Belgium and Britain demonstrated a stark contradiction of two opposing methods of colonization. These two countries methods’ of domination ultimately decide the fates of each party, conqueror and conquered, in the precarious gamble that is imperialism.... ... middle of paper ...
Joseph Conrad’s own experiences during his trip through the Congo helped him provide a foundation for the writing of Heart of Darkness. In 1890, Conrad took a job as a captain on the river steamer Kinshasa. Before Conrad took this job, he had worked for the French merchant navy as a way to escape Russian military service and also to escape the emotional troubles that had plagued him. Conrad had been in a financial crisis that was resolved with help from his uncle. After this series of events, Conrad joined the British merchant navy at the beckoning of his uncle and took the job as the captain of a steamboat in the Congo River. An important fact to remember is that Conrad was a young and inexperienced man when he was exposed to the harsh and dangerous life of a sailor. His experiences in the West Indies and especially in the Belgium Congo were eye opening and facilitated his strong outlooks that are reflected in the book Heart of Darkness. Conrad’s journey through the Belgian Congo gave him the experiences and knowledge to write about a place that most Europeans would never see in their lives.
Conrad’s Heart of Darkness has two major components: a candid look at the reality of imperialism, particularly in the Belgian Congo, and an exploration into the darkest depths of human existence.
These emissaries of light are shown to be crude, sordid and violent. They had no regard for the destruction of Africa’s natural environment, wantonly destroying hills in a feeble attempt to establish a railway, “No change appeared on the face of the rock....the cliff was not in the way or anything; but this objectless blasting was all the work going on.” (Conrad 76) This statement reveals the real motive for venturing into the Congo which was not to bring a better, more civilized lifestyle to the poor, underprivileged Africans; but to satisfy their lust for power. “It was just robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale, and men going at it blind - as is very proper for those who tackle a darkness.” (Conrad 65)
For instance, Conrad uses the jungle and the natives to be the victims of European imperialism. In the opening of the novel, Marlow uniquely describes the Congo, "And this also has been one of the darkest places of the earth" (Conrad 3). Marlow reflects on the imperialism he experienced in the Congo, which lays the groundwork for the darkness in the novel. Additionally, Marlow uses an analogy to compare the European conquest of the Congo to the Roman conquest of Europe. Yet, Marlow alludes to the fact that the Europeans in the Congo were no colonists because they were imperialists who sought to conquer and gather strength from the weaknesses of the natives (Conrad 3-4). Moreover, the manner in which the colonizers treated the natives are rooted in their imperialism. In fact, Marlow witnessed the devastation imposed on the natives as he observed a chain gang. "I could see every rib, the joints of their limbs were like knots in a rope; each had an iron collar on his neck..." (Conrad 12-13). As the colonizers imperialized and aggrandized their sphere of influence in the Congo, they treated the natives with no deference by malnourishing them and forcing them to perform egregious labor. Thus, the principles of imperialism altered the human characteristics of emotion and compassion in the colonizers by encouraging the defilement of the
Leopold researched the continent extensively and followed the news of the white explorers through the region. When he found out that an explorer was low on funds, he quickly offered to contribute to the cause. He found a few explorers who had brought back news of Africa and its current state at the time, when Arab slave traders were seen leading caravans of captives to be sold into the slave trade. This news stirred the many Europeans who were looking to abolish the slave trade. Leopold saw this as a way to get into Africa by setting up faux organizati...
“The heart of darkness” is said only once in Barbara Kingsolver’s novel The Heart of Darkness, falling from the lips of Orleanna Price, the wife of Baptist missionary, Nathan Price. Contrary to most assumptions, her statement is not used to describe the Belgian Congo, but
Zins, Henryk S. "Joseph Conrad and the Early British Critics of Colonialism in the Congo." Lubelskie Materiały Neofilologiczne 22.(1998): 155-169. MLA International Bibliography. EBSCO. Sun. 08 May 2011.
One of Achebe’s main points is that the dehumanization of Africa and Africans has fostered and will continue to foster unless otherwise opposed. As Achebe begins to move away from the novel and towards Conrad’s life, he states that Conrad was born, at a time, when the black population was viewed at a low level. Achebe describes the accuracy of Conrad’s view of the people of the Congo as “grossly inadequate even at the height. of King Leopold’s International Association for the Civilization of Central Africa.” [pg.6] Achebe states that Conrad’s image of Africa is not of his own, but of the Western imagination and that Conrad is simply showing the norm.
Man has explored many places on earth and even the moon, but places like the congo have not been explored as much. This makes it tough to try to travel and explore the unknown. This novel has symbolism throughout the entire story that leads the readers to believe something before it even happens. In this Novel “Heart of Darkness”, written by Joseph Conrad, the meaning and its development can be shown through the symbolism of the journey, the test of man’s mind, and lastly the test of man’s soul.
Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is the story of a man’s journey deep into the Congo. The title, however, is unclear as to what or which “heart of darkness” he is moving towards. The man, Marlow, enters the center of the continent of Africa, often seen as a place of darkness in the light of European civilization. But soon he experiences the the fullest extent of human depravity and cruelty enacted on an innocent civilization for the accumulation of wealth. However, the heart of darkness that Marlow finds himself in may be less a metaphorical one and more of a metaphysical one. Conrad develops the theme of supernatural evil as a form of darkness. He does this through Nature, Women, and the heart of Kurtz.