Sunday, August 18, 2019
Conradââ¬â¢s The Heart of Darkness and the Europeanââ¬â¢s Claim to Superiority
Conradââ¬â¢s The Heart of Darkness and the Europeanââ¬â¢s Claim to Superiority Incomplete Works Cited Just beyond the ââ¬Å"biggest and greatest town on earthâ⬠, four men sit patiently on their boat, waiting for the serene waters of the Thames to ebb (65). One of the men, a Buddha, breaks the silence, saying, ââ¬Å"and this alsoâ⬠¦has been one of the dark places of the earthâ⬠(67). This pensive and peaceful idol, Marlow, explains to his apathetic listeners how a great civilization is blindly made out of a darkness, remarking, ââ¬Å"The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much. What redeems it is the idea onlyâ⬠(70). The irony with which Marlow looks upon colonization suggests that this redeeming feature, ââ¬Å"â⬠¦Europeââ¬â¢s claim to be civilized, and therefore superior, needs earnest reexaminationâ⬠(Sarvan). As Sarvan suggests, Heart of Darkness contrasts the appearance of African ââ¬Å"savageryâ⬠with European ââ¬Å"civilityâ⬠to demonstrate the inhumanity of the Europeans, rather than that of the Africans. Conradââ¬â¢s dehumanizing descriptions of the Africans serve to show the inhuman effects of colonialism, rather than to demean the African people. For example, Sarvan notes that when an African is ââ¬Å"reclaimedâ⬠by serving the Europeans, ââ¬Å"â⬠¦it is grim irony because he has been reclaimed to a worse state of barbarism.â⬠When Marlow reaches the first station, he notices one of the ââ¬Å"reclaimedâ⬠in a uniform jacket missing a button and notes, ââ¬Å"â⬠¦[He] seemed to take me into partnership in his exalted trustâ⬠¦I also was a part of the great cause of these high and just proceedingsâ⬠(82). By ironically referrin... ...rlowââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"ironic voyage of discoveryâ⬠could have happened anywhere. Indeed, the appearance of a fiendish black figure with his ââ¬Å"long black legs, waving long black armsâ⬠is a mere illusion created by the fire behind him (148). The possibility that this wild and mysterious being in the midst of a great darkne ss could represent any man in any place lends a great sense of significance to Marlowââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"inconclusive experiencesâ⬠(70). The irony of this dark portrayal of human nature is that humanity must hide from its own abomination in order to survive. Just as Marlow tells a detestable lie to hide the horrors of one manââ¬â¢s corrupted soul, it is ironic that the ââ¬Å"taint of death, a flavor of moralityâ⬠should protect idealism (96). Works Cited Conrad, Joseph. ââ¬Å"Heart of Darkness.â⬠An Introduction to Literature. Terry, Joseph. New York, NY: Longman, 2001. 1614-1672.
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