Oppression of Imperialism in Heart of Darkness
Oppression of Imperialism in Heart of Darkness
It was the evident duty of civilized nations to confer the benefits of civilization (Christianity, education, law and order, trade) on those benighted heathen with their barbaric ways” - Lord Salisbury (Heart of Darkness)
The oppression of imperialism has reached into personal lives and society for centuries. Two instances of how oppression through imperialism has affected a nation as well as the individuals involved are Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible. These stories both focus on a region of Africa long ruled by foreign oppressors and tyrannies. Both Conrad and Kingsolver examine how oppression, in conquering the local population, also adversely affects the ruling oppressors. The parallels of this effect can be seen by both parties’ adherence to the same rules, even though they were meant only for the oppressed; conversely, the differences are poignant; in the former the conqueror is adored and worshipped and in the latter the conqueror is feared.
In Heart of Darkness it is clearly evident that the Congo becomes victim to British and Roman imperialism through being conquered economically, geographically, and spiritually. In Conrad’s novel the British sincerely believe that they are offering a better way to the Congolese. The Congo is also conquered economically in terms of its resources. Marlow on his way to his post and mentions: “It had known the ships and the men…The dreams of men, the seed of commonwealths, the germs of empires.” (Conrad, 67). Marlow refers to the Congo and the many conquerors who have traveled through it in search of gold or fame. Marlow examines the oppression of the Congo spiritually: "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, 69). He is talks about his aunt’s beliefs and says, “She talked about 'weaning those ignorant millions from their horrid ways,'” These examples all show that the Congolese are conquered spiritually because they are taken advantage of due to their physical appearance and are forced to transform from their innately “savage” ways to “civilized” ways. This is spiritually degrading because the transformation forces them to believe that their ways of living are wrong.
The geographic conquering of the Congo is probably the most...