Theory of Culture.

Name: Φωτεινή Μανιάτη

ΙD number: 1563201600108

“Darkness at the heart of Europe: the imperialistic aspects”

Joseph Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’ narrates Marlow’s expedition into the African
jungle in order to find an ivory trader, named Kurtz. Through Marlow’s narration,
Conrad provides an insight of European colonial exploitation inflicted upon African
natives . The novel engages with imperialism and its history , a state policy of
exerting influence over an other native through military, economic and political means,
Even through the use of language and literatura. “Heart of Darkness is about
Europe’s strategy to colonize the ‘dark’ world Africa. Marlow, the main character
in the novel, reflects Conrad’s own experiences and critisizes the immoral
acts of the colonizers. Many critics have entered into a debate concerning Conrad’s
‘Heart of Darkness’. Chinua Achebe in his famous ‘An Image of Africa’ takes a
strong stand against Conrad declaring him as racist. In response to Achebe’s
critisism, Edward Said in ‘Two Visions of Heart of Darkness’ defends Conrad,
indicating that Conrad was influenced by the time period in which the novel was
written. Also, ‘Heart of Darkness’ represents the peripheral status of Africa and the
African woman indicating the European male power at this period. Thus, the
purpose of this essay is to aproach Conrand’s ‘Heart of Darkness’ in regard Edward
Said and Chinua Achebe’s thesis about the representation of imperialism and
colonialism and also indicate the stark differences about the represenation of the
colonized Africa and the Europeans colonizers.
Colonialism, reflects the antithesis between the colonizers and the colonizesd
people. The colonizers consider themselves as superior over the inferior colonized-
natives. Thus, colonized countries divide the world in parts, ‘us’ and ‘them’ . These
oppositions are reflected through Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’ and Chinua Achebe
in his critique ‘An Image of Africa’ attempts to show this division. Achebe,
accusses Conrad for being a ‘thoroughging racist’. Acording to Achebe the ‘Heart of
Darkness’ projects an image of Africa as ‘ the other world’. He claims that Conrad
was a racist and his work should not be considered as a great work of art. Of
course Achebe acknowledges Conrad’s great talents. In his critique Achebe shows
how Conrad describes the Africans as inhuman, uncivilized and brutals, and also
he presents how Conrad addresses to the Africans in relation to their skin’s colour
“Certainly Conrad had a problem with niggers’ Conrad, describes a man as a black
figure, having black legs and black arms, as ‘through we might expect to a black
figure striding along on black legs to wave white arms’ . Moreover, Achebe argues
that for Conrad everything has to be in their place in order to be right. ‘ The
tragedy begins when things leave their accustomed place’ , namely when Europeans
travelled into the heart of darkness. Finally Africa is descripted as ‘a metaphysical
battlefield devoid of all recognizable humanity’ and Africans as savages and
sometimes they are refered as specimens. With these descriptions Conrad dehumanize
Africans and refuses to bestow human expression on them. Although, Conrad
condemed the imperial acts in his novel he was unaware of the racism his novel
reproduces.
In response to Chinua Achebe’s critique, Edward W. Said in ‘Two Visions in
Heart of Darkness’ defends Conrad.