The Negative Impact of Colonization in Joseph Conrad, Essay Example

Many times, history is preserved by authors in works of literature. This is the case in Joseph Conrad’s novella, Heart of Darkness.  The novella takes place in Congo, which was colonized by the Belgians during the action of the work. Historically, the Belgian occupation of Congo was known as one of the most devastating instances of colonization in regards to the treatment of the natives of the land. Drawn from Conrad’s own experiences, colonization is a major theme of the work. When colonization is discussed, it is often examined from the perspective of the country that is colonizing the land. Therefore, we often learn about colonization in how it can benefit the smaller country, with the introduction of culture and religion, as well as the improvement of quality of life. Conrad shows that this isn’t the case in an eye-opening way. Throughout the novella, Conrad uses the theme of colonization to illustrate the deplorable conditions and traumatizing experiences in which a colonized country suffers through.

Both sides of the argument on colonization are illustrated in Heart of Darkness. The European occupation of the Congo is explained as a mutually beneficial effort. In exchange for European altruism, that is, the civilization and culture that they were to impart on the natives of the Congo, Europeans would be able to harvest the resources of the jungle and profit from them. Kurtz acknowledges this standpoint when discussing the company stations, remarking that they “should be like a beacon on the road toward better things, a center for trade of course but also for humanising, improving, instructing,” (Conrad ). While Marlow has heard of Kurtz’s vast knowledge and the respect he has gotten, both from the natives who revere him and the Europeans, he sees that altruism is not the force behind the colonization once he sees the conditions firsthand. There was no benefit for the natives. Instead of imparting civilization and culture on them, they were being robbed of their own civilization, their own culture. They were having their own way of life insulted and robbed for them, and on top of that being forced to work in inhumane conditions solely for the benefit of the Europeans. Marlow describes it perfectly when he comments “The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much,” (Conrad ). Ultimately, the Europeans weren’t concerned with the people of the Congo; it was the profit that was within it that was their main focus.

The only thing that was possibly worse than the conditions in which the colonized were subjected to was the truth that Marlow discovered in his time there. The idea of civilization, supposedly a major reason that the Europeans were in the Congo, was in fact a bankrupt concept. The civilized Europeans, when taken out of civilization and the gaze of society, acted as savages.  Their desire for power and their inherent greed overcame them, resulting in backstabbing not only the natives, but each other as well. There is nothing civil about the Europeans enslaving the Africans. There is nothing civil about the corruption within the Company. Unlike the other men of the Company, Kurtz acknowledges that the way to get the ivory is through domineering force. However, his revelation on the hypocrisy of this method, coupled with his willingness to connect and in a sense, adapt to the native ways leads to his ultimate downfall. He recognizes the darkness of the whole situation and verbalizes it in his final words: “The horror! The horror!” (Conrad )

Colonization is often seen as an altruistic and noble act. Heart of Darkness shows us that this is not always the case. This novella depicts both sides of colonization and shows that there really is no upside to it. While the Europeans may have monetarily gained from their occupation of the Congo, it was at the cost of their morals and the “civilization” they believed to course through them. Likewise, the Africans were robbed of their lifestyle and civilization in exchange for slavery and exploitation. This take proves that not only is colonization a dark force, but the “civilization” is seeks to impart is in fact a vacant concept.