The document discusses themes of imperialism in Joseph Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness. It explores how the novella depicts Europeans asserting their racial superiority and civilizing mission as justification for colonizing Africa. However, Marlow comes to realize that imperialism in the Congo involved brutal exploitation and abuse of power over native people. Ivory is presented as a symbol of the Europeans' greedy commercial motivations for imperialism. While the idea of uplifting natives was used to justify colonization, many Europeans instead treated natives as less than human and failed to civilize them.

1. Imperialis
m

2. Imperialism means the period of colonization of African
and Asian countries by European states, the USA and Japan
in the 19th century, on the other hand it means an idea that
was disseminated since the beginning of the modern times
around the 16th century.
The people of the mighty European countries thought to be
the first race of the world. With new inventions, like new
ships, printing, weapons, Europe was superior to the other
continents. Driven by the church's idea of mission, the
need for resources and greed for gold, first the Spanish and
Portuguese, later all important countries started to take
over and exploit less developed countries.

3. The thought of being the superior race played
an important role. Many scenes and dialogues
in "Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad" .
He shows the of the imperialist exploitation of
a backward. Conrad's treatment of the theme
of white imperialism was influenced by his
own visit to the Congo and his exploration of
that dark country; and his rendering of
Marlow's conscious and sub-conscious
thoughts was also based upon his own
reactions to what he had himself witnessed in
the course of his travels through the Congo.

4. Marlow's reference to the ancient Roman conquest of
Britain. The keynote of the theme of imperialism is struck
at the very outset of Marlow's narration. Marlow speaks at
the beginning of the ancient Roman conquest of Britain,
and says that the ancient Romans were conquerors using
brute force.
Their conquest of Britain was "robbery with violence" and
the violence in this case meant murder on a large scale. The
conquest of another country, says Marlow, mostly means
the taking away all things from those who have a different
complexion.

5. He says that a conquest is unpardonable. What can,
however, excuse such a conquest is the idea at the back of
it: not a sentimental pretence but an idea, and an unselfish
belief in the idea.
What Marlow here wishes to say is that conquest can be
excused only if the conquest perform some constructive
work in the backward country which they have conquest.
The white man certainly has a duty to the savages whom he
subdues, and whom he begins to govern. The test of the
white man's intentions lies only in his performance of this
duty. If he fails in this duty, his government of the
backward countries cannot be justified

8. The Idea Behind Imperialism
The idea of European imperialism on Africa is
to civilize the NATIVES.
The print media at that time was telling this lie and
affected by this, Conrad’s Aunt also says to him that he
will be “weaning those ignorant millions from their
horrid ways” Conrad during course of his story
changed his view and rejected efficiency as standard of
Heart of darkness .

9. Imperialism in Heart of Darkness
In Conrad's Heart of Darkness Marlow, the main
character, symbolizes the positiveness of Imperialism.
Marlow, as a character realizes the evil that negative
Imperialism has caused and decides it is truly
unnecessary. When Marlow states, "I had got a
heavenly mission to civilize you," he expresses his good
intentions to help the Africans progress and advance.
Furthermore, when he says, "I was an impostor,"
Marlow recognizes the fact that he is an invader into a
foreign land, yet he sticks to his moral values.

10. Marlow observes many kinds of abuse of power by
other whites, simply because they have better weapons
of war. When the manager severely battered a young
black boy for the burnt shed Marlow disapproves.
However, when he sees abuses and unjust treatment
he does not physically try to stop it. Instead, he just
turns away and accepts that it is happening. That is
one of Marlow's flaws, he does not support his
convictions.

11. Heart of Darkness
imperialism Quotes

12. Greta’s Example- Page 7 Chapter 1Here we can see an
example of
imperialism, since
they refer to them
as “their enemies”.
It shows the rivality
between the
Europeans and the
natives. As we can
see, they call them
their enemies,
which is why we
can infer they want
to take over
Charlie Marlow
•“here was a touch of
insanity in the proceeding,
a sense of lugubrious
drollery in the sight; and it
was not dissipated by
somebody on board
assuring me earnestly
there was a camp of—
enemies!—

13. Chapter 2
YAZET’S EXAMPLE
“As Marlow travels
from the outer
station to the
central station and
finally up the river
to the inner station,
he encounters
scenes of torture,
cruelty, and near
slavery.”
•This example shows
racism and imperialism,
the way Belgians treat
the natives so they can
surrender to them.
Also, slavery is
commonly attached to
imperialism and here
we can see how people
were treated like slaves.
They are treated this
way so they can see that
the Belgians are
stronger.

14. Chapter 1 page 39
Charlie Marlow
“Near the same tree two more
bundles of acute angles sat with
their legs drawn up. One, with
his chin propped on his knees,
stared at nothing, in an
intolerable and appalling
manner, his brother phantom
rested its forehead, as if
overcome with a great weariness;
and all about others were
scattered in every pose of
contorted collapse, as in some
picture of a massacre of a
pestilence.
•Here we see the true
consequences of
imperialism—mistreated and
overworked slaves who are left
to die on their own. They're
given no food, care, or
medicine, and are left to die
outdoors. But notice how
Marlow calls them "bundles,"
"creatures," and phantoms"?
They're treated so inhumanely
that Marlow can't even see
them as fully human.

15. The Shabby Treatment, Meted out
to the Black Crew

It is equally disgusting for us to watch the manner in which the
cannibal crew of Marlow's steamer are being treated by the white
owners of the steamer. The cannibal crew are most efficient, hard-
working, and sturdy fellows who deserve every possible
encouragement. But, the pity of it is that they are not fed properly. It
goes to the credit of the cannibal crew themselves that they are
exercising self-restraint and are not attacking the white men on board
the steamer in order to kill them and eat their flesh. Thus, the white
men led by the manager, are absolutely unconcerned about the welfare
of the very men on whose labour and toil they depend. Without this
cannibal crew the steamer could not have gone ahead at all; and yet the
white bosses do not bother whether or not these men are properly fed.


16. The Lamentable Failure of Mr.
Kurtz to Uplift the Savages
Even Mr. Kurtz, who has begun to identify himself with the
savages, and who had at one time held that the white man
should confer huge benefits upon the backward people, has done
nothing for the uplift of the natives. Instead of improving their
mode of life, he has himself become a savage in their company.
He has miserably failed to exercise any self-restraint, and has
begun to satisfy his various lusts without any limit. Even in his
prime of life, when he had supported the view about the white
man’s civilizing role, he had written down the following words
conveying an opposite message: “Exterminate all the brutes.” In
fact, Mr. Kurtz has now become brutalized, and even
dehumanized. Such is the irony of the achievement of Mr. Kurtz
who had once upon a time believed that the white man could
prove himself to be the Messiah of the natives..


17. Ivory a symbol of imperialist greed
and commercial mentality
Faten Talib Al-Hadrami

18. Marlow’s (or Conrad’s) experiences in the Congo clearly
show that the white man there had field to perform his
function. Instead of civilizing the savages, the white men
who went there become exploiter, pure and simple. Ivory
was no use by the natives themselves, while the white men
collected ivory and sent it to Europe where it could
profitably be used for the making of numerous ornamental
articles. Now, as we go through this book, we find that ivory
is being constantly mentioned. Ivory dominates the
thoughts of the manger of the central station, the thoughts
of brick maker, the thought of the several white agents who
loiter around the central station and to whom Marlow gives
the name of “faithless of pilgrims’.

19. Subsequently we find that ivory not only dominates
the thoughts of Mr. Kurtz but has become an
obsession with him. The manager of the central
station tells Marlow that Mr. Kurtz collects more ivory
that all the other agents taken together; and the
Russian tells Marlow that, on one occasion, Mr. Kurtz
had threatened to kill him if he did not give up to Mr.
Kurtz a small quantity of ivory which the Russian had
received as a gift from the native tribal chief.

20. Thus ivory becomes a symbol in the book. .Ivory
symbolizes the white men’s greed and the white men’s
commercial mentality. Ivory becomes a source of gain
to the trading company which can , therefore , afford
to invest a lot of money in sending its agents into the
Congo.

21. So we can say that ivory in heart of darkness shows
everlasting greed of white men that prevent them of
their moral and religious values. It seems to have some
supernatural power that was controlling their life till
their last breath. Conrad made use of ivory to show
how greed of one destroys one’s life.

22. "Marlow the narrator of Conrad explains how the
Europeans consider themselves as superior and civilized
more than Africans which Europeans consider them as
primitive and inferior. Conrad submits the idea of racism
by presenting the cruel treatment by Europeans towards
Africans and by presenting the idea of colonization. We
interpret from the novel that Europeans not only colonize
Africans but also, their land. They colonize African under
the purpose of civilization while in reality they only want to
dominate them and their land "The conquest of the earth"
and make them their slaves. They think that they have the
right to do this because the native Africans differ from
them in the appearances and the behaviors.

23. . Here, we can say that the idea of colonization depends
completely on the racism and because the Europeans have
the power, they are who colonized Africans not the
opposite. Marlow illustrates the reality about the
conquerors that they not have "a sentimental pretence",
they only focus on how they make all Africans "bow down"
for them and "offer a sacrifice" to them. Marlow also
explains that European could colonize most the land and
natives and they succeed in their purpose for colonization.
Marlow does not find any "difficulty in finding the
Company’s offices" because most of the city becomes from
their own properties, everywhere Marlow go "it was full of
it".

24. They colonize the earth and in their way to colonize
the sea by "make no end of coin by trade". In ‘Heart of
Darkness,’ Marlow, the main character, describes how
the Europeans dominated the Africans during their
imperialism, reducing the natives of the country to a
status only equal to that of an animal. Marlow
witnesses the inhumane slavery of Africans at the
hands of the whites. In the end, In Heart of Darkness,
Conrad shows that during Europe’s colonization of
Africa, the natives were dehumanized and treated with
such cruelty because they were believed to be the
inferior race.

25. Source(s):
http://www.shmoop.com/intro/literature/j...
http://www.google.com/search?q=www.shmo
o.
5411helpme.com/view.asp?id=123http://www.
-of-http://www.shmoop.com/heart
 http://www.itiscannizzaro.net/Ianni/booksweb/sitodarkness/papers/fabrizioanna.htm
darkness.html-of-heart-is-way-what-/in11/2010http://neoenglishsystem.blogspot.com/

 book "Heart of Darkness by Ramji Lall "
book " Heart of Darkness by Mohit K. Ray"
darkness-of-heart-in-ivory-of-http://www.slideshare.net/befriends/significance
Heart of darkness by Ramji Lall
darkness/chapter-3-quotes-28.html

26. done by:
Arwa R awhi Yousif
Salwa Baraja
Alhanouf Halawi
Faten Talib Al-hadrami
Hanan Sawab