Heart Of Darkness Research Paper
Joseph Conrad wrote the Heart of Darkness as a semi- autobiographical satirical social critic book because he aimed to expose the primeval atrocities committed by the civilized Europeans. The civilized people of Europe on the pilgrimage were there to civilize the primitives of the Congo became primal in return. The people of Europe brought out the true form, the true heart of darkness. The people of Europe during the time were a people based in tradition and a way of “progress”. The progress that they sought was the progress of monetary gains and what was blooded in the process. The colonials were from a stock of people who did not know the horrific events that unfolded in the Congo; they were as innocent as children. The Europeans wanted to civilize the people of the Congo, but they did so with horrific ways such as what Marlow recalls that “[s]ix black men advanced in a file…walked erect and slow balancing
…show more content…
small baskets…each had an iron collar on his neck” (Conrad 19) after arriving at the Outer Station of the Company. These people were being treated inhumanely; they were used as slaves chained up like animals to do the European’s biddings, which was to attain great amounts of ivory. The people of the Congo were not only treated poorly, but they were also killed according to Hochschild report of an African woman, remembering that “[w]e then set off marching very quickly… soldiers took my sisters baby and threw it in the grass, leaving it to die…” (Hochschild 133). The Europeans took the baby and left it to die just so that the sister would be able to carry more for them. The Europeans did not have little to any remorse towards what they did to the people of the Congo. This cruelty was neither civilized nor Christian. If the people of the Congo tried to revolt against the Europeans, they would most likely fail due to the Europeans possessing firearms Marlow explains that, “[the Congo’s people] broke and ran, they leaped, they crouched, they swerved, they dodged the flying terror…the red chaps had fallen… as though they had been shot dead.” (Conrad 64). The people of the Congo had followed Marlow and Kurtz along with some other Europeans to a pilot house where they were shot at and three of the Congo’s people had fallen dead. The people of the Congo had little to no chance against the Europeans “The Colonization of the Congo” claims that, “[n]o one could revolt or they would be slaughtered like animals” (Colonization). The people of the Congo were unable to do anything under the Europeans, even if they tried they would literally be “shot down”. The Congo’s people were not only afraid of the guns the Europeans possessed but also the heads that the Europeans would put on display Marlow explains that “[t]hese round knobs were not ornamental but symbolic; they were expressive and puzzling, striking and disturbing…black, dried, sunken, with closed eyelids- a head that seemed to sleep…” (Conrad 55).
The Europeans would cut the heads off of the people of the Congo and then they would put their heads on stakes, this is barbaric and morally wrong. This was not the only form of symbolism a BBC reporter adds that “… children and adults whose right hands had been hacked off by his agents… this rule was seldom observed as soldiers kept shooting monkeys and then later chopping off human hands to provide their alibis.” (Dummit). Heads on stakes was a decorative feature for Kurtz’s house a primeval in itself. The Europeans had become ruthless in their pursuit to progress in financial gains even if it came down to cutting the hands off of children and adults to symbolize that the Europeans were doing their
job.
Joseph Conrad wrote this book to expose the primeval atrocities committed by the civilized Europeans. The civilized people of Europe wanted to civilize the people of the Congo but, became primal in return. The people of Europe wanted financial gain but in the process became ruthless savages who cared very little for the Congo’s people. The Europeans treated the Congo’s people as animals, killing them and then going as far as mutilating their bodies by cutting their heads off and displaying them on stakes as decorations. The colonials at this time had no idea of the horrific events that went on in the Congo. The Europeans all in all brought out the true form, the true heart of darkness.
small baskets…each had an iron collar on his neck” (Conrad 19) after arriving at the Outer Station of the Company. These people were being treated inhumanely; they were used as slaves chained up like animals to do the European’s biddings, which was to attain great amounts of ivory. The people of the Congo were not only treated poorly, but they were also killed according to Hochschild report of an African woman, remembering that “[w]e then set off marching very quickly… soldiers took my sisters baby and threw it in the grass, leaving it to die…” (Hochschild 133). The Europeans took the baby and left it to die just so that the sister would be able to carry more for them. The Europeans did not have little to any remorse towards what they did to the people of the Congo. This cruelty was neither civilized nor Christian. If the people of the Congo tried to revolt against the Europeans, they would most likely fail due to the Europeans possessing firearms Marlow explains that, “[the Congo’s people] broke and ran, they leaped, they crouched, they swerved, they dodged the flying terror…the red chaps had fallen… as though they had been shot dead.” (Conrad 64). The people of the Congo had followed Marlow and Kurtz along with some other Europeans to a pilot house where they were shot at and three of the Congo’s people had fallen dead. The people of the Congo had little to no chance against the Europeans “The Colonization of the Congo” claims that, “[n]o one could revolt or they would be slaughtered like animals” (Colonization). The people of the Congo were unable to do anything under the Europeans, even if they tried they would literally be “shot down”. The Congo’s people were not only afraid of the guns the Europeans possessed but also the heads that the Europeans would put on display Marlow explains that “[t]hese round knobs were not ornamental but symbolic; they were expressive and puzzling, striking and disturbing…black, dried, sunken, with closed eyelids- a head that seemed to sleep…” (Conrad 55).
The Europeans would cut the heads off of the people of the Congo and then they would put their heads on stakes, this is barbaric and morally wrong. This was not the only form of symbolism a BBC reporter adds that “… children and adults whose right hands had been hacked off by his agents… this rule was seldom observed as soldiers kept shooting monkeys and then later chopping off human hands to provide their alibis.” (Dummit). Heads on stakes was a decorative feature for Kurtz’s house a primeval in itself. The Europeans had become ruthless in their pursuit to progress in financial gains even if it came down to cutting the hands off of children and adults to symbolize that the Europeans were doing their
job.
Joseph Conrad wrote this book to expose the primeval atrocities committed by the civilized Europeans. The civilized people of Europe wanted to civilize the people of the Congo but, became primal in return. The people of Europe wanted financial gain but in the process became ruthless savages who cared very little for the Congo’s people. The Europeans treated the Congo’s people as animals, killing them and then going as far as mutilating their bodies by cutting their heads off and displaying them on stakes as decorations. The colonials at this time had no idea of the horrific events that went on in the Congo. The Europeans all in all brought out the true form, the true heart of darkness.