Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness

Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is often cited as an example of an anti-imperialist novella. In brief, anti-Imperialists are those who are against a country expanding its control by diplomacy or military force over another country. In Heart of Darkness, Conrad provides very dark story contrasting the redeeming ideals of imperialism against the reality of the often exploitive use of imperialism for wealth and power. Conrad's novel goes into vivid detail in painting a picture of how the alleged work of imperialism, to bring the idealistic goals and teachings of such things as salvation, religion and general betterment to a people and their country, is twisted by greed and corruption of those seeking to colonize a region, even to the extent that the colonizers become monsters. J.A. Hobson, the author of Imperialism and Rosa Luxemburg, the author of Capitalism Depends on the Non-Capitalist World, both have written works likewise concurring with Joseph Conrad's unflattering depiction of the realities of imperialism.

The Heat of Darkness is a story about a man named Marlow who sets out on a mission to retrieve the sick Mr. Kurtz out of the middle of Africa. Mr. Kurtz is an ivory agent in the central station of the Africa Congo. Marlow decides to seek out Mr. Kurtz after having heard various stories remarking on his legendary status in the region. From the corporate manager, Marlow hears how Mr. Kurtz is the headman in the central Congo and is considered by many as the best the in the business at harvesting ivory. (Conrad CITE). Mr Kurtz is described in glowing terms by a brick-layer as ". . . an emissary of pity, and science, and progress, and the devil knows why else." (Conrad 127). Marlow is anxious to meet this man who is so well-regarded and who he believes shares his passion for the wilderness.

However, even before meeting Mr. Kurtz, there is evidence that all is not well under imperialist rule. When Marlow is aboard the ship traveling to get Mr. Kurtz, he sees how horribly the crew is treated. In this episode, the Captain ordered the ship's hippo, which was the crew's only meat for the voyage, to be tossed overboard because of the nasty smell. Although the Captain pays the crew in copper wire, and pays them a fair wage, he refuses to stop on their journey in order to give the crew an opportunity to trade their pay for meals. Marlow describes in great detail the awe he feels at how the crew of natives exercise such great restrain and will power in the face of their starvation:

"Yes; I looked at them as you would any human being, when brought to the test of an inexorable physical necessity. Restraint! What possible restraint? Was it superstition, disgust, patience, fear-or some kind of primitive honor? No fear can stand up to hunger, no patience can wear it out, disgust simply does nor exist where hunger is, and as to superstation, beliefs, an what you may call principles, they are less than a chaff breeze in you know the devilry of lingering starvation, its exasperating torment, its black thoughts, its somber and brooding ferocity? Well, I do. It takes a man all his inborn strength to fight hunger properly."(Conrad145-146)

This description goes into great detail about how strong and powerful there will power must be to resist when starving. Thus, on the one hand, we have the Captain, a civilized man, who acts selfishly and thoughtlessly regarding the very sustenance necessary to keep his crew alive, while on the other hand, there is the lowly crew, who find themselves on the very verge of death, who nevertheless is able to dig down deep and avoid their baser drives to resort to cannibalism just to survive, and instead persevere in a more civilized manner.

When the ship finally arrives in the central station Marlow begins to realize why Mr. Kurtz won't leave his station and the grim reality of his existence in the wilds. Mr. Kurtz has created his very own sort of utopia, but in doing so, has lost some of his civility. While he purportedly is there to civilize the natives, he instead uses his position and knowledge to manipulate the natives and act as a tyrant. He has convinced the native people that he is superior to them and has them working for him to harvest ivory at unprecedented rates to sate his greed and fuel his power. Those natives who refused to believe that Mr. Kurtz was superior or who would not bend to his rules were executed and had their heads placed on stakes outside the station as a threat to others. Upon seeing the staked skulls, Marlow comments that:

I am not disclosing any trade secrets. In fact the manager said afterwards that Mr. Kurtz methods had ruined the district. I have no opinion on that point, but I want you clearly to understand that there nothing exactly profitable in these heads being there. They only showed that Mr. Kurtz lacked restraint in the gratification of his various lusts, that there was something wanting in him-some small matter which, when the pressing need arose, could not be found under his magnificent eloquence. (Conrad 164).

This statement by Marlow reflects Marlow's dawning understanding that Mr. Kurtz has changed