Theme of Colonialism and Imperialism in Conrads Heart of...

The Theme of Imperialism in Heart of Darkness Of the themes in Conrads Heart of Darkness, imperialism and colonialism are probably the most important. While Heart of Darkness is actually set on the Thames River, the events Marlow describes are set on the Congo River. The Congo is the river that brought about the partition of Africa that occurred from 1880 to 1890 (McLynn 13). This event marked the beginning of the colonization of Africa. In 1884, European nations held a conference and decided that every European country should have free access to the interior of Africa. Thus began the colonization of Africa, without any consideration that the land was already inhabited (McLynn 18). King Leopold of Belgium already had, from a†¦show more content†¦Some critics, such as Chinua Achebe, were alarmed by Conrads use of the word nigger and the use of foreboding images commonly associated with Africa and savagery. The images Achebe found error in included paganism, disease, insanity, cannibalism, polygamy, and excessive sexualit y. The charge against Conrad about the use of the word nigger is justified by the time Heart of Darkness was written. A quote from The Africa That Never Was by Hammond and Jablow states No issue was taken with the word or its use at this time, though some in position of administrative responsibility, clearly aware of its pejorative content, eschewed its use. In this connection it is noteworthy that [Sir Harry] Johnston [writing in the 1880s] occasionally lapses into using the word, but discreetly hemmed in quotation marks. Later, when he became Proconsul of British Empire in Africa, he did not use the term at all. (qtd. in Bradley) Thus it is quite certain that by 1899 Conrad knew the implication of the word when he used it. It is likely that Conrad also used the images that Achebe found so intolerable with full understanding of their ramification. However, Heart of Darkness is a very ironic and deceptive work of literature. The term and the images could have been used ironically to show the contrast between the prevailing attitude of the time and the true effect of colonization and also to give the reader a closer insight to Marlows mindsetShow MoreRelatedEssay on Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness1276 Words   |  6 Pagesof decolonization, Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness presents one of fictions strongest accounts of British imperialism. Conrad’s attitude towards imperialism and race has been the subject of much literary and historical debate. Many literary critics view Conrad as accepting blindly the arrogant attitude of the white male European and condemn Conrad to be a racist and imperialis ts. 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