Many books, having imperialism as a central theme, have been written. Among them , Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” is regarded as original for his narrative technique . Because its complexity , it has been given widely differing interpretations . On one hand, it has been interpreted as a story about colonialism and a continuity of imperialism fiction . But on the other hand , it has also been read as a denuncation of the mechanisms of empire. From the beginning of the text in fact Marlow has to deal with the destructive process of colonialism in Africa, its cruelty and exploitation. His comments may reveal Conrad’s desire to destroy the idealistic view of colonialism which was shared by many of his contemporaries. “Heart of Darkness”can be seen as a text which challenges many conventions of imperialist travel writing and adventure fiction of the time ,which ideologically supported the growth of the British Empire. Adventure fiction contributed to justify imperialism by stressing the virtues of the explorer and the colonialist who was always very brave, strong and fearless. In this way colonialism was presented to the readers as a natural and morally acceptable thing.
Marlow is a different type of hero .He is much more ambivalent and problematic than the typical adventure hero. During his journey up to the Congo, he has to face difficulties connected both with the “dark” environment and the “dark” nature of people, both white and black. His journey is into the “ heart of darkness”, namely into the exploited yet still untamed Africa but at the same time it is a journey into the darkness of human nature. “Heart of Darkness”, therefore,ha salso been read as an inner journey into human consciousness. |
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