The African Congo in Heart of Darkness - Essay Example

The African Congo in Heart of Darkness Many critics have looked at the theme of imperialism that runs through Conrad’s books since his work frequently takes place in parts of the expanding British Empire that were subject to colonialist rule — the African Congo in Heart of Darkness, and the East Indies in many of his other works. Since Conrad based the setting and many of the incidents in Heart of Darkness on his own experiences in the Congo as well as building on the reported experiences of other Europeans in Africa, the question of imperialism and its effects is one that has influenced many critical readings. Some critics, like Frances Singh, have looked at the ways in which Conrad and his narrator Marlow use language to dissociate themselves from the horrors of imperialism. Singh is particularly interested in the ways in which Conrad assumes the conventions of the Gothic genre to create an atmosphere of unreal, or otherworldly, horror in Heart of Darkness. Other writers, including Birgit Maier-Katkin and Daniel Maier-Katkin, are interested specifically in Conrad’s treatment of human rights violations rife in the imperialist Congo and find it both troubling and telling that Conrad focuses his tale on an extreme and improbable evil rather than on the myriad real-life evils perpetrated by the Empire. Other critics, including Jessica Howell, explain the imperialist philosophies in Conrad’s novel by taking an historical-biographical approach and considering the novel in terms of Conrad’s own experiences in the Congo, as well as the experiences of other Europeans in the Congo. What interests me about all of these different arguments is that they are all concerned with the ways in which Conrad evades or avoids dealing with the evils of imperialism in his novels. Singh is correct that he uses language to avoid it; the Maier-Katkins are correct that he focuses on Kurtz’s “crazy” imperialism to avoid the “sane” imperialism of the Company. Howell is correct that he uses illness to justify the evils in the Congo. In fact, these techniques are all part of the novel’s efforts, both conscious and subconscious, to avoid confronting the real, everyday issues raised by imperialism in the Congo. These evasions, rather than being offshoots of the narrative’s focus on imperialism, are in fact the heart of the novel. I will argue that Conrad uses each of these evasions — and another significant evasion that isn’t thoroughly addressed by these writers, Marlow’s refusal to tell Kurtz’s fiancée his last words — to avoid directly addressing the issues of western imperialism. In this paper, I’ll touch on three different evasion techniques Conrad uses to avoid confronting the true issue of imperialism in Heart of Darkness, arguing that these techniques touched on by other critics are part of a more over-reaching pattern of evasion and avoidance. Read More