Conrad cites examples in Heart of Darkness that truly depict how awful the effects of colonialism were on the natives of a country. As Marlow progresses further and further into the heart of the Congo he finds himself further from the reaches of society.
On page 83 is a scene that depicts the horrendous treatment of the native African people. “They were dying slowly – it was very clear. They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now – nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation…” The narrator finds this group of helpless individuals lying, nearly lifeless, in the shade of a tree. Making note of how these people were not criminals or enemies, one is to believe these were the displaced natives from that region. They have done nothing wrong but work under horrific conditions. Not getting proper medical treatment they basically wait to die under the tree. They go unnoticed by most, being that the narrator doesn’t make note of their existence until his is nearly on top of one.
This quote is taken from Marlow’s stay at the Coastal Station; here the affects of colonialism are prevalent and numerous, even as Marlow treads into the next station colonialism still has control. By the time Marlow reaches the inner station however the atmosphere is a mix of the destruction of colonialism and Kurtz’s insanity. The Inner Station is surrounded by death, with the heads on stakes, and the mound of ivory. Colonialism is what surrounds this death as well as part of the reason for Kurtz’s insanity. Also Kurtz’s projection of himself as a god, took advantage of the people of the Congo. Colonialism did not solely reap a country’s natural resources for market profit; it also was an attempt to strip a nation and a people of their culture. This is possibly the greatest evil, stripping one from their humanity. Kurtz’s transcended into darkness because he lost the capacity to be human.
1 comment:
Excellent job.
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