Ben Martin Research Essay Heart of Darkness(1899) 12 April 2019 In-text references; Conrad, J. (2007). Heart of Darkness. Penguin publication. The power of the written text lies in its ability to capture the things that make us human. Examine the extent to which Heart of Darkness has represented its context of the situation to this end. Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness (1899) portrays an unsettling but vital aspect of human nature; our inherent darkness, which ultimately leads to our capacity for evil. The novel positions the reader to follow the narrator Charlie Marlow through the Congo, exploring the metaphysical meaning of the text and the characterization, symbolism and literacy devices of the European man to represent Heart of Darkness’ context of the situation.
While many of the geopolitical realities have changed since the novel was first published, what points remain salient are the exploration of humanity, predominantly the darker side of human nature; the arrogant belief in the superiority of one culture over another, imperialistic pleonexia and the capacity for evil that lies within the human heart. In the artistic rendering of its context of situation and reflection upon the darker attitudes of human nature, Heart of Darkness endures as a literary masterpiece. During the novel’s timeframe, ivory was extremely valuable and demand was high in Europe; giving rise to European pleonexia. “Under the rule of King Leopold II, Belgian traders, committed many horrifying crimes against native Africans,” in their aim to extract profit, regardless of the impact on the Congolese tribes and the elephants. Charlie Marlow’s boat ride to the Congo in Heart of Darkness has many similarities to the actual experience of Joseph Conrad who in “1889 [became] captain of a river seam-boat.”
Conrad, fuelled by his desire to see the newly colonized continent of Africa, set off on a “seventh-month stay” that would remain with him for the rest of his days, and as for the consequences; “the effects of Leopold’s rule in the Congo almost certainly left him with deeper scars.” This very trip of Conrad's would later inspire one of his best-known works, Heart of Darkness, however, the real damage was far more psychological. Throughout his journey, Conrad witnessed many horrifying crimes against the Congolese and the elephants by ivory-induced pleonexia. The evil and greed that was shown toward the Congolese people and elephants, challenged his thoughts about human nature. Conrad has then used Heart of Darkness as a vehicle to turn a skeptical eye onto the concept of European colonialism and their justification for their immoral treatment in the name of profit. The book’s title, then, becomes a symbol of a journey into man’s dark soul. Conrad reflects upon human morality and capacity for evil through his use of symbolism throughout the novel, namely; the inhumane treatment of the ‘other’ e.g.
Congolese and animals, and the representations of the European man. Marlow’s first taste of ‘man’s true self, began when he saw the six-man 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, and all were connected together with a chain whose bights swung between them, rhythmically clinking.” Upon seeing this atrocious sight of the Congolese being treated cruelly and harshly, Marlow compares the white men, who are leading these chained-up Congolese, to devils; “I’ve seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! these were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men—men, I tell you.” Conrad utilizes this strong biblical analogy, depicting man to be the ‘devil’ voided of any morality, empathy or compassion. Marlow is eager to leave, climbs a hill, “finally I descended the hill, obliquely, towards the trees I had seen,” this is later referenced to as the ‘grove of death.’ To Marlow’s discovery, there are men there dying; “Black shapes crouched, lay, sat between the trees, leaning against the trunks, clinging to the earth… “They were dying slowly—it was very clear… nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation.”
The grove of trees is symbolic of the cruelty of man, as what human with any sort of compassion or empathy could treat their fellow human like this? The grove of trees alludes to the cruelty of man, this place of suffering at human hands emphasizing the stark lack of compassion and empathy in the actions of the ‘devils’, those that act in cruelty to their fellow men and show the darkness of their hearts. Marlow brings the reader’s attention to one of the dying Congolese who had “tied a bit of white worsted round his neck.” The white worsted is a European fabric, symbolically and literally representing how Europeans have created a death-like control over the natives and represent the choke hold that the Europeans have over the natives of Africa. Furthermore, Marlow also comments on man’s cruelty as he talks about the trance-like state of the men at the central station obsessing over ivory; “a taint of imbecile rapacity blew through it all, like a whiff from some corpse. By Jove! I’ve never seen anything so unreal in my life.” The corpse that Marlow describes can be viewed both literally and figuratively. Literally, he is talking about man’s cruelty towards both elephants and the Congolese, resulting in their deaths all in the name of mans pursuit of ivory. Figuratively, he is talking about how the entire colonization enterprise is rotten and full of deceit. Conrad has used symbolism in a number of ways to represent Heart of Darkness’ context of a situation and more specifically, the human capability for evil. This has been shown through the cruel, inhumane treatment of the natives and elephants, biblical reference of man being referred to the devil and symbolic connotations of the white man strangling the natives with western ways and colonization and the lack of care that man has for the Congolese and the Elephants.
Conrad reflects upon the arrogant belief of mans self-superiority through his use of symbolism throughout the novel, namely; the inhumane treatment of the Congolese treating them as working animals due to their lack of superiority in weaponry and primal culture. White men for most of history held little regard for people of different cultures and religions, due mainly to their arrogant belief in their own superiority over every other race and culture, hence, they would dehumanize them, treating them with little human dignity and cruelty; “A quarrelsome band of footsore sulky niggers trod on the heels of the donkey...Long afterward the news came that all the donkeys were dead. I know nothing as to the fate of the less valuable animals.” This quote further illustrates the arrogant belief of the white man’s superiority; in their eyes, the Congolese, who they refer in the contemptuous and offensive term “nigger”, are less valuable then the animals that work with them, suggested by them not caring about the fate of the “less valuable animals.” Furthermore, criticises the arrogant belief of white man’s superiority who viewed the natives as animals compared to the noble and righteous white man. As the boat moves deeper into the ‘heart of darkness, Marlow and his crew are literally moving back to a time when man was primitive; “The prehistoric man was cursing us, praying to us, welcoming us—who could tell?” European colonialists often associated native people with primitive human history, allowing for an arrogant superiority as many of these natives had primitive weapons and therefore severely inferior to the white man’s weapons and technology; “I [Marlow] stood in the doorway, peering, and the arrows came in swarms. They might have been poisoned, but they looked as though they wouldn't kill a cat.”
Conrad uses a simile added with a sardonic tone to suggest that through the arrogant belief of superiority the violence of the Congolese wasn’t seen as any real threat. This refusal to view the Congolese as a threat makes it easier for the Europeans to oppress and exploit them, as they know they have all the power. Allowing for the representation of Heart of Darkness’ context of the situation to reflect the arrogant belief of self-superiority over another culture in regards to their dehumanizing and cruel treatment of the natives as less valuable then working animals due to their primitive way of life and weaponry representing this idea to a huge extent. Conrad reflects upon one of the darker parts of human nature, human pleonexia, elucidating mans evil actions; “Pleonexia is a Greek word often translated as greed, but better understood as the insatiable desire to acquire, accumulate and obtain more of anything, whether money, property or power. It is the imbalanced state of never being satisfied.” Conrad does this through his uses of characterization, metaphors and symbolism in mans false justification for colonization, the view of ivory and the madness and insanity that is the consequence of falling under its spell.
Despite claims that colonialism was an effort to “help” the native people, it has generally been understood as a capitalist venture. Marlow’s partner establishes the capitalist notion of mans pleonexia nature in seizing the opportunity to make money against those who are oppressed by exploiting them; “I couldn't help asking him once what he meant by coming here at all. ‘To make money, of course. What do you think?’ he said, scornfully.” The man’s statement shows how removed he is from the human lives at stake in this business and only in the Congo for financial reasons—helping ‘civilize’ the native people is truly only a facade used only as a justification for colonization. Furthermore, expose the foundation of pleonexia within man. As Kurtz was approaching his death the madness of his pleonexia is reflected in his words, “’ My ivory.' Oh, yes, I heard him. 'My Intended, my ivory, my station, my river, my—' everything belonged to him.” Conrad is using Kurtz as a metaphor for European colonists; mainly reflecting their pleonexia. In this passage, the repetition of the word “my” bring a degree of insanity to Kurtz’s words, as if Kurtz was trying to frantically gather all his belongings in his arms at once, exposing the foundation of pleonexia within Kurtz, as to him and his unchecked greed all he cares about is his material wealth, his power and his ivory.
The Ivory trade is the sole reason for European colonization of the Congo, it can also been seen as a representation of the white man's greed. Ivory becomes a symbol for the evil that drips from the darkness of man's heart. “The word ‘ivory’ rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed. You would think they were praying to it.” This quote offers Marlow's own impression of the people at the central station, the word “ivory” has taken on a greater meaning of symbolism to the men, to them it was far more than just the tusk of an elephant, it represents wealth and economic freedom. This reverie has allowed the men to loss all connection to reality and, fuelled only by their greed, end up treating this material object as a God. Conrad, therefore, represents Heart of Darkness’ context of the situation to reflect man's imperialistic pleonexia in their false claims that colonization was an effort to help and civilize the natives where it was really just seen as a capitalist venture to make easy money and how pleonexia breeds madness and insanity amongst those who fall under its spell. Conrad has represented Heart of Darkness’ context of the situation to reflect the things that make us human, predominately the darker side of human nature; man’s arrogant belief in self-superiority (fuelled in their dehumanizing and cruel treatment of the natives as less valuable then working animals due to their primitive way of life and weaponry), man’s imperialistic pleonexia in their false claims that colonization was an effort to help and civilize the natives where it was just seen as a capitalist venture and its subsequent breeding of madness and insanity amongst those who fall under its spell, and man’s capacity for evil in their cruel inhumane treatment of the natives, causing white men to be referred to as the devil and the symbolic connotations of a white man strangling the natives with western ways and the general lack of care that the men have for the Congolese and the elephants. All of this allows Conrad to represent Heart of Darkness’ context of the situation, moral ambiguity, and ultimately the darker side of human nature.
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2,044 References Conrad, J. (2007). Heart of Darkness. Penguin publication.
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