Conrad was critical of the greed dehumanization and violence perpetuated by imperial forces He describes Conrad s stance as a subtle and stern analysis of imperial rule's flaws However Conrad remained bound by his time's prevailing views The Civilizing Mission Justification Conrad s conflicted view of imperialism is also evident in his portrayal of the so-called civilizing mission Marlow reflects the European view that the uncivilized Africans are somehow inhuman It is apparent in the following line of the novel Well that was the worst of it this suspicion of their not being inhuman However the author not only exposes the hypocrisy and violence of European colonial powers but also suggests imperialism as a justified system He says that because it serves an idea of bringing civilization to barbaric lands Said points out that this paradox is central to understanding Conrad s dual role as both an imperialist and an anti-imperialist The Historical and Cultural Constraints of Conrad Conrad s position can also be explained by the historical and cultural constraints of his time Said argues that the realities of the th-century world ultimately shaped Conrad s vision During that time imperialism was deeply embedded in European identity and literature It is evident in the following quotation Without empire there is no European novel as we know it Said notes that Conrad was unable or unwilling to imagine the liberation of subjugated peoples This reflects the broader intellectual atmosphere of his time The Tension Between Domination and Resistance In his analysis Said emphasizes the tension between imperialist domination and resistance Conrad s works reflect this tension showing both the oppressive power of the imperialists and the resistance of the colonized However Conrad s portrayal of the natives is often limited and one-dimensional Said observes that Conrad s narratives while critical still rely on a framework that views Europeans as central and the colonized as secondary Inability to Envision Freedom for the Colonized Despite his criticism of imperialism Conrad could not imagine true freedom for the colonized Said argues that Conrad was a creature of his time indicating that Conrad s perspective was limited by the cultural and historical context in which he lived The possibility of self-rule for colonized nations was unthinkable to him Said writes Conrad could not grant his natives their freedom despite his severe critique of the imperialism that enslaved them In conclusion Edward Said s analysis of Joseph Conrad reveals a complex and contradictory figure This figure critiques the horrors of imperialism while remaining tied to the ideologies that sustain it Through a profound examination of Conrad s works Said demonstrates how the author s perspective was shaped by both his critical awareness and the limitations of his historical context