Colonialism and Imperialism - The White Male and the...

The European, White Male vs. the Other in Heart of Darkness The novella Heart of Darkness has, since its publication in 1899, caused much controversy and invited much criticism. While some have hailed its author, Joseph Conrad as producing a work ahead of its time in its treatment and criticism of colonialist practices in the Congo, others, most notably Chinua Achebe, have criticized it for its racist and sexist construction of cultural identity. Heart of Darkness can therefore be described as a text of its time, as the cultural identity of the dominant society, that is, the European male is constructed in opposition to the other, the other in Heart of Darkness being defined as black and/or female. Notions of cultural†¦show more content†¦In the case of the second instance it is somewhat appropriate that the leaders death is announced by one of the people of the group he is seen to have joined. Therefore Africans are constructed as being inferior to Europeans through Conrads refusal to grant them the power of language and speech and even when they are given the opportunity to speak, Conrad constructs Africans as being largely inarticulate. Thus confirming the superiority of the white race. Conrad further marginalises and degrades the African characters and race not only through the denial of language but also the denial of human form. When Marlow first sees Africans in a small boat on the water, he describes them in terms of their muscles, bones and white teeth, despite also recognizing a vitality and spirit. The disembodiment continues when Marlow encounters the chain gang at the outer station. It is when seeking shade however that Marlow stumbles upon the grove of death. Here he finds emancipated and dying Africans, cast off by their imperialist owners because they are no longer deemed to have monetary value, or economic viability. Instead of feeling revulsions at this, Marlow dehumanizes the Africans, describing them as bundles of acute angles and noting how they drink on all fours. Thus by denying the Africans their humanity, Conrad constructs a notionShow MoreRelatedEssay on Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness1276 Words   |  6 Pagesdecolonization, Joseph Conradâ €™s Heart of Darkness presents one of fictions strongest accounts of British imperialism. Conrad’s attitude towards imperialism and race has been the subject of much literary and historical debate. Many literary critics view Conrad as accepting blindly the arrogant attitude of the white male European and condemn Conrad to be a racist and imperialists. The other side vehemently defends Conrad, perceiving the novel to be an attack on imperialism and the colonial experience.Read MoreIn Search of the Unknown: Apocalypse Now1584 Words   |  6 PagesIn Search of the Unknown Apocalypse Now is a film based on the story Heart of Darkness, written by Joseph Conrad. 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