Andre Lall Nicholas Boodhoo Pamela Nonato HUMN 20261 Final Project A Literary and Historical Analysis of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Andre Lall Nicholas Boodhoo Pamela Nonato

Heart of Darkness – Visual Art Monument of King Leopold II’s in Arlon, Belgium "I have undertaken the work in Congo in the interest of civilization and for the good of Belgium.“ (Congo Reform Association)

Heart of Darkness – Literary Analysis General term “Darkness” Connotates fear, death, sadness, greed, corruption, and evil Utilized by Conrad to describe both Africa and imperialism itself, wherein Africa is seen as a stark contrast to Europe Quite simply it is the desire -- one might indeed say the need -- in Western psychology to set Africa up as a foil to Europe, as a place of negations at once remote and vaguely familiar, in comparison with which Europe's own state of spiritual grace will be manifest. (Achebe, 1977) Rationale: need to bring civility & modernity to dark Africa” to bring it into the light Europe’s unchecked freedom brought out inner darkness = abuse of Africans supposedly helping

Heart of Darkness – Literary Analysis Progress to Africa = MASK “‘Each station should be like a beacon on the road towards better things, a centre for trade of course, but also for humanizing, improving, instructing’” (Conrad, 1902, p. 52). Outpost = center for trade & institutions for African self-improvement TRUE MOTIVE = rob the land of its valuable resources I gathered in snatches that this was some man supposed to be in Kurtz’s district, and of whom the manager did not approve. ‘We will not be free from unfair competition till one of these fellows is hanged for an example,’ he said. ‘Certainly,’ grunted the other; ‘get him hanged! Why not? Anything—anything can be done in this country. That’s what I say; nobody here, you understand, HERE, can endanger your position. (Conrad, 1902, p. 52) UNRESTRAINED FREEDOM Anything can be done in Africa, including murdering the competition Are in “uncivilized” Africa = justification for uncivilized behaviour Nobody to keep Company’s power in check

Heart of Darkness – Literary Analysis MR. KURTZ Living embodiment of EUROPEAN IMPERIALISM You should have heard him say, ‘My ivory.’ Oh, yes, I heard him. ‘My Intended, my ivory, my station, my river, my—’…Everything belonged to him— but that was a trifle. The thing was to know what he belonged to, how many powers of darkness claimed him for their own. That was the reflection that made you creepy all over. It was impossible—it was not good for one either—trying to imagine. He had taken a high seat amongst the devils of the land— I mean literally. (Conrad, 1902, p. 80) GREED within the Darkness that is IMPERIALISM Greed & Lust for Power – like Cecil Rhodes & King Leopold II Claimed ownership over resources - ivory, river, stations Best ivory trader in the land with highest authority Demanding, crazy, greedy, selfish, entitled

Heart of Darkness – Literary Analysis SUPPRESSION OF SAVAGE CUSTOMS …we whites, from the point of development we had arrived at ‘must necessarily appear to them [savages] in the nature of supernatural beings – we approach them with the might as of a deity,’ and so on, and so on. ‘By the simple exercise of our will we can exert a power for good practically unbounded,’ etc., etc. (Conrad, 1902, p. 82) Arrival In Africa = immediate discrimination based on skin colour Are seen as Gods by Africans due to wealth, machines, & destructive weapons Used means of doing good as cover Used unbounded freedom to extend own wealth at expense of African lives & resources

Heart of Darkness – Literary Analysis Evilness and greed that European Imperialism brought to Africa Demonstrated primarily through KURTZ Admired by all other characters Feared by Africans His greed and resourcefulness for getting more ivory than any other trader symbolizes exploitation of Africa despite the narrative of bringing modernity and civility to Africans

Heart of Darkness – Historical Analysis Historical Event = “Scramble for Africa” Started with Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 (Stelios Michalopoulos, 2016, p. 1802) Central Africa divided without regard for local conditions (Stelios Michalopoulos, 2016, p. 1802 1807) Recognized Leopold’s claims to Congo Basin (Marsella, 2017, p. 13) One of worst company abuses (Marsella, 2017, p. 53)

Heart of Darkness – Historical Analysis Captures what KING LEOPOLD II of Belgium did in Congo prospered from the “wholesale extraction and export of rubber, hardwoods, and metals from the Congo” (Weinstein, 2000, p. 17) “robbing the citizenry of the country’s natural wealth” by means of “force to sustain his autocratic rule” (Weinstein, 2000, p. 12) “declares all uncultivated land as ‘vacant land’” (Marsella, 2017, p. 54) allowed private companies to go unchecked and pillage land for natural resources IVORY

Heart of Darkness – Historical Analysis Private Ivory Trade KURTZ best at obtaining ivory through brutal means by integrating himself with the surrounding tribe and becoming their leader Operated freely without restraint Leopold II’s offer to companies in order to get resources Companies too advantage

Heart of Darkness – Historical Analysis Kurtz and King Leopold II Spurred by GREED to further extort natural resources Leopold II conquering Katanga – richest province in Congo Free State motivated by “a general imperialist surge, the desire for compensation for the Niari-Kwilu, and the objective of making the new state as large as possible and filling as much of the Congo basin as possible” (Michalopoulos & Papaioannou, 2016, p. 1808).

Heart of Darkness – Historical Analysis Conrad’s Response to King Leopold II Opening up Congo for Private Companies Setting up fictional company in the Congo Demonstrated day-to-day operations Any means necessary Free of any persecution What mattered to Kurtz & Company - similar to Leopold’s motives Obtaining BEST and MOST resources in the land to INCREASE own WEALTH, INFLUENCE, and POWER No regard to who got hurt in process

Heart of Darkness – References Achebe, C. (1977). An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness. Massachusetts Review, 18, 251-261. Retrieved from http://kirbyk.net/hod/image.of.africa.html Conrad, J. (1902). Heart of Darkness. United Kingdom: Blackwood's Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.planetebook.com/ebooks/Heart-of-Darkness.pdf Marsella, M. (2017). The ‘Scramble for Africa & Methods of Rule Unit 4 [PowerPoint Slides]. Retrieved from https://slate.sheridancollege.ca/d2l/le/content/346383/viewContent/5352882/View Stelios Michalopoulos, E. P. (2016, July). The Long-Run Effects of the Scramble for Africa. American Economic Review, 106(7), 1802-48. doi:10.1257/aer.20131311 Weinstein, J. M. (2000). Africa's "Scramble for Africa" Lessons of a Continental Wa. World Policy Journal, 17(2), 11-20. Retrieved from go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=EAIM&sw=w&u=ko_acd_shc&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA64151720&it=r&asid=f5aca34e80ca7b39245bebe75b582d61 Congo Reform Association. (n.d.). Leopold's Philanthropic Guise. Retrieved from http://www.congoreformassociation.org/leopolds-reign-of-terror/