mperialism woven into
Heart of Darkness?
Or, how does Conrad treat the theme of imperialism in Heart of Darkness?
Joseph Conrad’s (1857-1924) “Heart of Darkness” (1899) is not a tale of glory. It is a tale of greed. It is a tale of death. Marlow, a sailor, tells the story. He travels on the Nellie (A type of sailing boat) from the Thames to the Congo. He visits Brussels, the Outer Station, the Central Station, and the Inner Station. Step by step, he unmasks imperialism as horror.
Brussels – The White Sepulchre: Marlow first goes to Brussels. He calls it the “White Sepulchre.” Outside, the city shines white. Inside, it hides decay and death. This is the first mask of the empire. Europe calls itself a civilization. But it is only a tomb. Imperialism begins not with light, but with hypocrisy.
Outer Station – Destruction and Suffering: In the Outer Station, Marlow sees the truth of the empire. He sees black men dying in chains. They are lying under the trees. At sea, he sees the French warship. It fires at nothing. He says,
“Incomprehensible, firing into a continent.”
There is none. The empire kills without reason. At the same time, he meets the Chief Accountant. The man is neat and white, “like a vision,” but around him are starving men. The scene shows the irony: beauty outside, death inside. Imperialism is waste, cruelty, and suffering.
Central Station – Greed and Fear: At the Central Station, Marlow finds his steamboat wrecked. Three months pass in repair. At this time, he hears the name of Kurtz again and again. The Manager and the Brickmaker talk of ivory, not of men. The Central Station is not a workshop. It is a shrine. The god is ivory. Marlow hears the word everywhere,
“The word ‘ivory’ rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed.”
This is the true creed of empire. Not law. Not faith. Only profit. Here, the Brickmaker praises Kurtz. It sounds noble. The Brickmaker calls Kurtz an,
“Emissary of pity, science, and progress.”
But Marlow knows it is empty talk. The Manager fears Kurtz will take his power. Imperialism here is only greed and rivalry: no light, no progress, only selfish fear.
Inner Station – The God of Ivory: At last, Marlow reaches the Inner Station. The Russian trader, in bright rags, welcomes him. He says,
“Kurtz sends in as much ivory as all the others put together.”
This is the truth of empire, ivory. Not Africa. Not men. Only ivory. Kurtz is carried out on a stretcher. The villagers cry. Yet with a weak voice, Kurtz silences them. He is their demi-god. Marlow sees the African mistress, proud and decorated. She is Africa, wild, strong, feared. Imperialism here is power by terror, not by love.
The Horror – The Final Truth: On the return journey, Kurtz dies. His last words are,
“The horror! The horror!”
This cry is the truth of imperialism. It is not light. It is not progress. It is horror. Back in Europe, Marlow meets Kurtz’s Intended. She asks to know about his last word. Marlow lies. He says,
“The last word he pronounced was—your name.”
She keeps her dream. The empire keeps its mask. But the reader knows the truth.
From the White Sepulchre of Brussels to the horror of Kurtz, Conrad shows imperialism as a lie. It wastes lives at the Outer Station, produces fear in the Central Station, and brings madness in the Inner Station. Through Marlow’s eyes, we see the empire’s face. It is not light. It is only darkness.
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