Verified Document

Contemporary History And Imperialism Essay

Related Topics:

Heart of Darkness It was written by Joseph Conrad. The story is set in London, but there is a large part of it that happened in Congo. The writer went to Congo in the year 1980, on June 12. The inspiration for his writing may have been derived from what Conrad experienced in Congo. At that time, Britain had the most influence and power in the world. The Britain Empire stretched throughout Africa, Asia and Europe. Joseph Conrad was born in 1857, in Ukraine. His original name was Jozef Konrad Teodor Korzeniowski. As the writer, Conrad was a foreigner who was looking out. He was neither of African nor British origin; hence he was an appropriate party for writing a story about Congo and Britain. After all, he had insight regarding both countries (Svensson).

Summary

According to Svensson, the novella clearly portrays the Imperialism of Europeans. The novella talks about Marlow's trip on a steamboat, as he travelled the forest in Africa, looking for Mr. Kurtz, who used to sell ivory. Marlow's intention is that of finding Kurtz, he will return him to civilization. Mr. Kurtz is so much against leaving that he organizes for the steamboat...

Africans love Mr. Kurtz, so he exploits his popularity among them. However, Marlow finally succeeds in making him board the steamboat. Kurt, however, dies while on their journey to England. He says his final phrase, "the horror, the horror." Marlow is forced to go back alone. On his arrival, Marlow visits the intended wife of Kurtz. He gives her the old letters of Kurtz. This brings her to remember him as great, and that he was loved by her. She asks about his final words, and Marlow says "your name."
Full-blown imperialism took place in Congo after King Leopold the 2nd began colonizing the Free State of Congo in 1878. Leopold II, in 1982, announced that every resource belonged to him. It was after that announcement that Belgians increased their search for new ivory sources. They established stations at the banks of the Congo River, to help with the exploration. The Belgians were cruel to the people of Congo; they beheaded them and cut off their limbs. The story derived its inspiration from Conrad's expedition in Congo during the Belgian colonial period. The entire story portrays exploration of Congo from a Eurocentric view. The story is directly linked to the force of redemption and the horror and waste of the dark world mission of Europe. Conrad tries to show us the great theft adventure of Kurtz and the trip by Marlow up River Congo. From the story, there is one common theme; the acts by Europeans of mastering its will and imperialism about or in Africa. There is a lot of emphasis on the Imperialism of Europeans through the entire story (Prioti).

Criticism of Imperialism

According to Hawkins' argument, the novella portrays the brutal impact of imperialism despite the vagueness of the narration. Conrad attempts to show British imperialism, probably through Marlow's naive character. Marlow looks…

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

Hawkins, Hunt. "Conrad's Critique of Imperialism in Heart of Darkness." Modern Language Association, Vol. 94, No. 2, 1979, pp. 286-299. http://www.jstor.org/stable/461892. Accessed 9 August 2016.

Prioti, Ishrat Jahan. "Hypocrisy Of Imperialism In Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness." ENH Community Journal, Vol. 1, Issue 2, 2014, pp. 1-6. https://www.academia.edu/9941564/ Accessed 9 August 2016.

Raskin, Jonah. "Imperialism: Conrad's Heart of Darkness." Journal of Contemporary History, Vol. 2, No. 2, 1967, pp. 113-131. http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/259954. Accessed 9 August 2016.

Svensson, Morgan. "Critical responses to Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness." 2010. Sodertons Hogskola. http://sh.diva-portal.org. Accessed 9 August 2016.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Contemporary History
Words: 619 Length: 2 Document Type: Term Paper

Causes of World War I and Their Respective Importance This paper provides a review of the relevant peer-reviewed and scholarly literature to develop an analysis concerning how nationalism and imperialism contributed to the outbreak of World War I. Using historical examples to support this answer, a determination of which of the various causes of World War I was the most important is provided, together with evidence in support of this rationale. In

Contemporary History
Words: 3249 Length: 9 Document Type: Research Paper

influential factor in the evolution of the international world of politics following the end of World War II was the interrelationship between the United States and the Soviet Union. The conflictive positions between the two states influenced both the evolution of highly dominant states as well as minor governments. The world divided into two military fronts, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) -- 1949, and the Warsaw Pact in

Imperialism of Europe and America
Words: 2376 Length: 8 Document Type: Term Paper

European and American imperialism from 1900-1918 Empire is the term from which the word imperialism is carved. Government implies the act of mastery of one nation by another one, with the sole intention of expanding region, power and impact. It conveys with it the thought of social prevalence from the radical, judging the lifestyle, cultures and convictions of those colonized as sub-par and in need of changeover (Encyclopedia, encyclopedia.com). Nonetheless, Imperialism

Imperialism Westward Expansion: Laying the
Words: 852 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

For instance, the United States aided in the installation of Fidel Castro in Cuba, and then initiated a trade embargo against him when his policies did not meet their expectations. Ronald Reagan's involvement in the Iran-Contra affair suggested United States imperial action in both Latin America and the Middle East. Furthermore, while the United States' intervention in Latin America after the 1800s has been primarily motivated by a desire

Imperialism Which Is Often Considered to Be
Words: 2374 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

Imperialism which is often considered to be a final stage of capitalism was a logical continuation of industrialization, development of trade and colonization. Global trade and goods exchange have united Europe, Africa, America and Asia into an integral organism. Imperial system as well as interaction between the major colonial super-powers guaranteed economical stability and peace. Colonies were perfect markets for the goods produced in metropolises and were used as emergency

Imperialism in the Middle East
Words: 4117 Length: 13 Document Type: Term Paper

The Egyptian King Faud (1922-36) repeatedly disbanded popularly elected Wafd governments, despite huge majorities, due to their distinctly nationalist platform. The fickleness of the British position is exemplified by their later coercion of King Farouk (1936-52) to appoint an enfeebled Wafd government due to their need for a neutral Egypt during the Second World War. This intense irony does not detract from the fact that the monarchs in Egypt

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now