Unveiling the Imperialist Motives in Conrads Heart of Darkness

Other📄 Essay📅 2026
Heart of Darkness Name Institutional affiliations Date Heart of darkness Heart of darkness opens with Marlow's main narrator, remarking that England was once one of the dark places on earth. This could mean that in relating to the past of England, the present was different when Marlow was noting this. Therefore, it meant that England was more advanced. It was an insinuation that Africa needed a more advanced civilization. As the story unravels, the setting took place in the Congo Free State, where Belgium controlled the ivory trade, which was insatiable at that time and was rapidly expanding globally. To this effect, Africans were forced into slavery to support the lucrative business upon where the Belgians had a company for the ivory business. The characters in the Heart of Darkness all had t initial different motives upas to visiting Congo, but once they landed there, they all had a common interest. Initially, Marlow had wanted to go to Congo to satisfy his curiosity on the river Congo, which uncoiled itself like a snake. But upon being there, everything changed. Some people had been there before Marlow, and they too had similar motives and curiosities, but once they were fed, the goal became one. Around this time, in the 19th century, Europe controlled many empires around the world. Therefore, places like Cong
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