Paradox of Imperialism as Presented in Heart

Paradox of Imperialism as Presented in Heart of Darkness

Beginning in the 1500's, European countries explored the world and claimed large parts of it as their own. This was the beginning of the Age of Exploration, as first the Portuguese and Spanish, then the British, Dutch, French, and other Europeans raced to discover and claim new areas of the world. By the 1800's the Age of Exploration had settled into a system of Imperialism which maintained huge Empires for the economic benefit of the home countries in Europe. While the stated goal of creating such Empires was to bring civilization to uncivilized parts of the world, the need for raw materials combined with a commercial greed created a system that cruelly exploited indigenous peoples and raped whole territories of natural resources. Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, paralleled this ultimate paradox of Imperialism by describing how a good man named Kurtz, came to Africa with the hope of civilizing an uncivilized place, but instead was transformed into a cruel, greedy, uncivilized madman. (Bell 2005)

The story by Conrad is a narrative of a second idealistic young Englishman who was sent to discover the fate of Kurtz, a company agent who came to Africa with idealistic visions of civilizing the place, but after engaging for a time in the ivory business had ceased all communication with the outside world. As Kurtz's outpost was the furthest into the unknown jungle, the company decided to send Marlowe, another idealistic young man with dreams of Empire, upriver to discover the fate of Kurtz and the ivory he was supposed to obtain for the company.

Along his journey, Marlowe slowly came to realize the difference between the ideal of Empire, spreading civilization, and the reality of Empire, the injustice, brutality, and complete lack of sympathy. He encountered real slaves, chained together and forced into hard labor, used and disposed of like a commodity. His vision of Empire had not included the reality of slavery; which was used to build the European's Empires, and in this specific case the British Empire. (Purssell 2009) It had also not included the violence which Marlowe experienced one night when a fire broke out at the company's Central Station. The African native responsible for accidentally starting the fire was beaten mercilessly by one of the company's men. Another of the company's men, in a conversation with Marlowe commented, "Serve him right. Transgression--Punishment -- bang! Pitiless, pitiless. That's the only way." (Goldblatt 2006) Marlowe was beginning to see the realities of Empire, that it was cruel, violent, and pitiless. (Icoz 2005)

By the time Marlowe reached the company station run by Kurtz, he had spent many months in Africa and his eyes had become opened to the realities of Empire. But what he encountered was beyond even his imagination, through the use of incredible violence and terror, Kurtz had created a little Empire of his own and stockpiled a huge cache of his own personal ivory. Throughout the journey, Marlowe had learned all he could of Kurtz; that he was a good man who came to Africa with the best of intentions. But the reality of Kurtz was a man who used "unsound methods" and greedily horded the precious ivory he had obtained through using the local natives. He had made himself into a god to the locals and used them to attack and kill the surrounding tribes, as well as gather the ivory. When Marlowe arrived with some company men who wanted to take the ivory, Kurtz acts defensively, referring to the ivory as "his." And later Marlowe found him sleeping in the jungle, demonstrating Kurtz's plummet from civilized behavior into the realm of the uncivilized, Kurtz spoke of his "immense plans" of using the natives to cruelly gather more and more ivory. (Goldblatt 2006)

Marlowe eventually took Kurtz back with him and he died along the way, but not before Marlowe came to realize the deadly paradox of the system of Empire he had been such an advocate for in the past. No matter what the politicians, monarchs and the like state are the goals of creating an Empire, the reality of operating an empire twists the good intentions and turn into a corrupt, violent, pitiless, greedy system of exploitation and death. (Jouannet 2007)