Joseph Conrads Views on Colonialism

"What redeems it is the idea only. An idea at the back of it; not a sentimental pretence but an idea."

"Those who read me know my conviction that the world, the tempered world... rests, notably, on the idea of Fidelity."

This is a running theme through most Conrad's books. As a sailor he learned that to survive, every crewman did the job he was assigned, and that the survival of the ship, and therefore the community, depended on each man doing his duty.

The heart of darkness can be read as a political critique of western imperialism as exercised by the Belgians, who more or less raped the Congo of its resources while brutalizing the country's people and making them slaves of unbridled political avarice.

At the time Heart of Darkness was written, the British Empire was at its peak, and Britain controlled colonies and dependencies all over the planet. The popular saying that "the sun never sets on the British Empire" was literally true. The main topic of Heart of Darkness is imperialism, a nation's policy of exerting influence over other areas through military, political, and economic coercion. The first narrator expresses the mainstream belief that imperialism is a glorious and worthy enterprise. Indeed, in Conrad's time, "empire" was one of the central values of British subjects, the fundamental term through which Britain defined its identity and sense of purpose.

From the moment Marlow opens his mouth, he sets himself apart from his fellow passengers by conjuring up a past in which Britain was not the heart of civilization but the savage "end of the world." Marlow continues to talk of olden times when the Romans arrived and brought light, which even now is constantly flickering. He says those people were not colonists but conquerors, taking everything by brute force. This "taking of the earth is not a pretty thing" when examined too closely; it is the idea behind it which people find redeeming. The bitterness of Marlow's recollection demonstrates Conrad's own strong bias against colonialism, which he wants to impart to the reader

According to Marlow, such barbarism cannot be justified on any grounds; however it can be compensated for by a legitimate and just cause behind it. Colonialism to him was

"Just robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale"

It was not an exchange of resources, but a cruel and unjust domination and usurpation of the resources of the weaker party by the stronger, in this case the usurpation of the natives' ivory by the pilgrims.

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"

The Europeans were a so-called cultured and sophisticated race whose professed aim was the betterment of the African lot. The resources at their disposal, their culture, their food, and their finances, none of these were transferred to the Africans in order to improve their living standard; instead all concentration was focused on getting as much wealth out of the land as possible, even at the cost of the lives of the natives. Had the purpose behind this unjust domination been something worthwhile, the sins of the pilgrims might have been atoned for. But there is no such purpose; no moral betterment, spiritual uplifting, or cultural enhancement of the natives is intended. All that is aimed at is the ivory.

"They wandered here and there with their absurd long staves in their hands, like a lot of faithless pilgrims bewitched inside a rotten fence. The word "ivory" rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed. You would think they were praying to it"

The word "ivory" has taken on a life of its own for the men who work for the Company. To them, it is far more than the tusk of an elephant; it represents economic freedom, social advancement and an escape from a life of being an employee. The word has lost all connection to any physical reality and has itself become an object of worship. Marlow's reference to a decaying corpse is both literal and figurative: elephants and native Africans both die as a result of the white man's pursuit of ivory, and the entire enterprise is rotten at the core. Bewitched by a new country and the material prospects, they are incapable of using their power and authority to some useful end.

The ultimate aim of the Europeans was the extraction of wealth, ivory, etc and not the salvation of the Africans. Their aim sprang out of their passion for wealth and not any humanitarian impulse. Thus their conquest did not merit any redemption. It was a sin with no recompense.

They might pretend to be

"Something like a emissary of light, something like a lower sort of apostle",

who were there for the purpose of

"Weaning those ignorant millions from their horrid ways".

But what they were really there for can be summed up in the words of Marlow's white companion who exclaimed:

"To make money, of course. What do u think?"

The Romans had indeed subjugated the British to their rule, but at the same time had succeeded in bringing about an elevation in their living standards. Thus, the right idea behind an enterprise might be relied upon to make amends for whatever methods have been employed in the realization of that idea. As far as the Europeans were concerned, their entire aim was corrupt; but to add insult to injury, they were inept at carrying it out. Not only were they robbers and