Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness: A Journey into Colonial Darkness
Polish-British author Joseph Conrad takes the reader on a harrowing journey to the heart of Africa, deep into the Congo River, in his novella Heart of Darkness. While the title might initially evoke images of fantasy or horror, Conrad's work primarily delves into the dark realities of colonialism and racism.
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad - Book Review
The story is narrated through the experiences of Captain Charles Marlow, who recounts his adventures as a steamboat captain navigating the depths of the Congo River. He witnesses firsthand the exploitation of Africa by European colonizers, including himself, and the dehumanizing treatment of the local population, whom the colonizers label as "enemies, convicts, laborers, and rebels."
Born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski in 1857 to Polish parents in Ukraine, Conrad's early life was marked by exile in Russia following his family's persecution. He later embarked on a career at sea, drawing inspiration for his writing from his many years of maritime experience. After becoming a British citizen in 1884, Conrad penned Heart of Darkness in English.
One of my favorite short story writers, Jorge Luis Borges, called Joseph Conrad "the most novelist of all novelists." Heart of Darkness remains one of the Polish-British author's most renowned works.
Joseph Conrad - Heart of Darkness - Plot Summary
The plot of Heart of Darkness unfolds as follows: The narrator and his companions are gathered on the Thames River in London, as guests of Captain Charles Marlow. During their conversation, the Captain begins to recount a pivotal experience from his past. This experience involves Marlow's journey to Africa to work for a trading company. He is appointed as the captain of a steamboat in a remote and largely unexplored region. His mission involves navigating the depths of the Congo River, encountering the local people, and ultimately conveying to the reader his observations of European colonialism and the racism inflicted upon the native African population.
However, Conrad employs a subtly ironic tone as he narrates these events through Marlow’s perspective.
"But these chaps were not much account, really. They were no colonists; their administration was merely a squeeze, and nothing more, I suspect. They were conquerors, and for that you want only brute force—nothing to boast of, when you have it, since your strength is just an accident arising from the weakness of others. They grabbed what they could get for the sake of what was to be got. It was just robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale, and men going at it blind—as is very proper for those who tackle a darkness." (p. 10)
"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. What redeems it is the idea only." (p. 10)
The Ivory Trade and Exploitation in Heart of Darkness
Marlow's employer, the trading company, is primarily in Africa for ivory. Their stations collect various valuable resources, but ivory is their primary commodity. The ivory gathered at these stations is then shipped back to the main headquarters. They exploit the local population as forced labor. Marlow describes his first encounter with these enslaved workers to his companions, saying:
"A slight clinking behind me made me turn my head. Six black men advanced in a file, toiling up the path. They walked erect and slow, balancing small baskets full of earth on their heads, and the clink kept time with their footsteps. Black rags were wound round their loins, and the short ends behind waggled to and fro like tails. I could see every rib, the joints of their limbs were like knots in a rope; each had an iron collar on his neck, and all were connected together with a chain whose bights swung between them, rhythmically clinking." (p. 24)
Colonialism and Racism in Heart of Darkness: A Comparison of Two Worlds
In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad explores the themes of colonialism and racism while drawing a stark comparison between London and the Congo, the Thames River and the Congo River. For instance, Marlow encounters completely abandoned villages in Africa. He compares the abandonment of these villages and the flight of the local population to a hypothetical scenario in London:
"and a solitude, a solitude, nobody, not a hut. The population had cleared out a long time ago. Well, if a lot of mysterious niggers armed with all kinds of fearful weapons suddenly took to travelling on the road between Deal and Gravesend, catching the yokels right and left to carry heavy loads for them, I fancy every farm and cottage thereabouts would get empty very soon." (p. 31)
The English, Europeans, or Westerners in general, went to Africa, and often to the East, for their own gain. However, one of their biggest challenges was confronting an unfamiliar environment. Marlow consistently describes the forest, which is utterly foreign to him, as "dark." This is because he can't see what lies beyond the dense trees and impenetrable vegetation. For him, it is a place of darkness, and darkness is always associated with fear.
This also includes the native people. They don't know the local people, their customs, or their languages. For them, the local population is merely a source of exploitable labor or, when perceived as a threat, an "enemy" whom they can kill without consequence. We see this as Marlow travels along the Congo River in his steamboat. The deeper they venture into the river, the more they both fear and find amusement in killing the locals, who have had little prior contact with Westerners. After all, the locals only have bows and spears, while they possess high-powered guns and rifles.
Generally, all the behaviors of the native people are alien to them. They don't even try to understand them. This is because they believe they come from a civilized world, while the natives are perceived as cannibals and savages. After all, their primary goal was not to understand, give anything to, or civilize them. What they truly desired were the riches of Africa and its ivory.
"But suddenly, as we struggled round a bend, there would be a glimpse of rush walls, of peaked grass-roofs, a burst of yells, a whirl of black limbs, a mass of hands clapping, of feet stamping, of bodies swaying, of eyes rolling, under the droop of heavy and motionless foliage. The steamer toiled along slowly on the edge of a black and incomprehensible frenzy. The prehistoric man was cursing us, praying to us, welcoming us—who could tell? We were cut off from the comprehension of our surroundings; we glided past like phantoms, wondering and secretly appalled, as sane men would be before an enthusiastic outbreak in a madhouse. We could not understand because we were too far and could not remember because we were travelling in the night of first ages, of those ages that are gone, leaving hardly a sign—and no memories." (p. 56)
Marlow and Kurtz: Two Sides of the Colonial Coin in Heart of Darkness
In Joseph Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness, another key character is Kurtz, whom the protagonist Marlow only briefly encounters but hears a great deal about. Kurtz is one of the company's most successful agents, stationed at a remote outpost deep in the Congo. He is known for sending the largest shipments of ivory back to the central station. Marlow recounts what he heard about Kurtz: “Hadn’t I been told in all the tones of jealousy and admiration that he had collected, bartered, swindled, or stolen more ivory than all the other agents together?” (p. 73)
Marlow's actual meeting with Kurtz is brief. However, the months he spends hearing about him create an almost obsessive fascination. Some praise Kurtz for his personality, genius, and accomplishments, while others are envious and fear he might one day become the company's director due to his success.
Kurtz, whom Marlow eagerly anticipates meeting, is a complex figure. He not only sends vast quantities of ivory from the depths of Africa but also remains alone at his station after sending his men and goods to the central station. The local people and tribal chiefs fear him. He ventures alone into the forest for days at a time. When the steamboat arrives to retrieve him, the natives attack the vessel to prevent Kurtz from being taken away. They both fear and deeply admire him.
Kurtz occupies a significant place in the novella. This character, who becomes an obsession for Marlow, is central to the narrative. Everyone talks about Kurtz.
While reading the book and considering Conrad's focus on colonialism, I was reminded of Jared Diamond's question in Guns, Germs, and Steel: "Why did European peoples colonize Africa and the Americas, rather than the peoples of those continents colonizing Europe?"
Joseph Conrad also poses this question from a different angle. This is reflected in Marlow's observations of abandoned villages in Africa, similar to the quote mentioned earlier: "If suddenly armed Africans appeared in London and forced English villagers to work…" Jared Diamond explores the answer to this question in detail in his book.
- Title: Heart of Darkness
- Author: Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski)
- First Publication: 1899 (serialized in Blackwood's Magazine in three installments: February, March, and April)
- First Book Publication: 1902 (in the volume Youth: a Narrative, and Two Other Stories)
- Genre: Novella, Modernist Literature, Psychological Fiction, Colonial Literature, Adventure Fiction
- Setting: Primarily the Congo Free State (present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo) in the late 19th century, with framing scenes in London.
- Narrator: Unnamed narrator for the frame story; Charles Marlow narrates the main story.
- Key Themes: Colonialism, imperialism, racism, savagery vs. civilization, the nature of evil, psychological deterioration, the darkness within human nature.
- Approximate Length: The novella is relatively short, usually ranging from 80-120 pages depending on the edition and font size. It's often published with other short works.
- Notable Editions: Many editions exist, published by various houses. Look for editions with helpful introductions or critical essays for deeper understanding.
