One theme that is prominent in Joseph Conrad’s novel “Heart of Darkness” is that of colonialism. At the time “Heart of Darkness” was written the British Empire was at its peak, possessing colonies all over the world which was divided between Britain and the other European imperialistic powers. The common excuse that all colonial powers gave for their colonizing and invading the territories of other peoples was that they sought to bring civilization, enlightenment, progress and education to the backwards primitives they colonized. However, throughout the novel, it becomes obvious that in fact colonialism had nothing to do with such idealistic notions; it is all about profit, trade and extremely cruel treatment of the natives. The theme of colonialism is evident form the beginning of the novel when the unnamed narrator framing Marlow’s story speaks in a celebratory tone of the great voyages that British explorers made on the Thames bringing civilization to the rest of the planet. The narrator in fact expresses the commonly held belief that colonialism is glorious and has a higher purpose. However, Marlow immediately shatters these illusions by pointing out that once Britain was not the center of civilization but a savage place, thus suggesting to the reader that throughout the novel, he will not be supporting colonialism as is the case with his listeners. On the contrary, the story that Marlow narrates contains all the cruelties that are associated with colonialism, the exploitation of territories as well as people being more that obvious. Throughout the novel the colonists’ treatment of the natives is extremely cruel and there are many instances of brutality against the black natives. For example, as Marlow goes to the Outer Station several natives in chains pass past him, and when he retreats into the shadow of the trees he is horrified to witness that the natives retreat there to die; they are totally exhausted, forced by the white to work extremely hard and left there to die. Moreover, the pilgrims do not refrain from killing the natives who follow the steamer using them simply as target practice. In addition, at the Central Station a black native is cruelly beaten simply because he was thought to have caused the explosion of a building. Furthermore, the black natives are forced to live in uncongenial surrounding, to eat white man’s food, to wear white man’s cloths- to be something other than what they really are, thus they are being tortured even more. They have actually been touched by the white civilization but in a negative and destructive way. However, the greatest atrocity against the natives is obviously done by Kurts who impelled the heads of the natives he has killed on sticks and has put them around the house to show of his power and to punish their rebellion. Kurts has forgotten all his original idealistic notions of bringing civilization and has turned into a murderer and torturer of the natives believing that all of them need to be exterminated (as shown by his note on his report on the suppression of the customs of the savages). Moreover, throughput the novel, it is obvious that in Africa nothing is being done to bring civilization and progress. Instead, everyone is concerned only with gathering as much ivory as possible and in making profit. Everything else is put aside; all the three station that Marlow visits are in a state of disorder, supplies never get to where they are needed, nothing is being built and no real work (except for Marlow repairing his steamer) is being done. The only thing that the pilgrims, the manager and Kurts have in mind is ivory, a precious material that will enable them to make profit. So, obviously, the only goal of colonization is profit, trade, and not bringing civilization and education. To conclude, when reading Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” one inevitably realizes that the belief that the colonists’ aim in the colonized country is to bring civilization and progress to the primitive natives is rather naïve and unrealistic. The only goal is to exploit the colonies, both the natural resources and the people who inhabit the region, and to make profit out of it.
