Colonialism Of Joseph Conrad In Heart Of Darkness

Colonialism is never a simple act of accumulation and acquisition. It appears under the cover of racial and cultural superiority and is supported, even impelled by impressive colonial ideology. This thesis analyzes Conrad's cultural colonialism before the oppressed Africans with his racial and cultural superiority just when he tries to attack the crime colonizers committed in Africa. In Heart of Darkness, Africans are distorted by Conrad as prehistoric, primitive, uncivilized cannibals, that just meets the cultural needs of colonialism which are justified in Europe as the "mission of civilizing the savages". The unexpected result reveals Conrad's mentality of a colonizer, and makes him side along with other colonizers whom he attacked.The thesis is divided into six parts. The first part introduces five kinds of the prevailing ideas about Heart of Darkness.The second part introduces the cultural foundation of colonialism and the literary theory of New Historicism. Colonists have such a notion that non-European people are subordinate, inferior, or less advanced savages who have neither history no civilization. Therefore it is for those people's good to control them, to bring the "sacred fire" from Europe tocivilize them. This is the cultural foundation of colonialism. New Historicists consider that history is neither linear nor progressive. What is progressive or not, what is civilized or uncivilized are only matters of definition, so as to fit the need of rulers' ruling. New Historicism has deconstructed the myth of Europe' superiority and promoted the development of marginalized people.The third part briefly introduces Conrad's early life experience and his adult Congo journey. His early life experience produces him a man with sympathy toward other oppressed people, while his Congo journey provides him enough materials for writing Heart of Darkness.The fourth part is the most important part of this thesis. It mainly analyzes Conrad's colonialism from the aspect of culture with the literary theory of New Historicism. It is true that Conrad showed his sympathy to the oppressed Africans in Heart of Darkness, but it is also true that Conrad saw nothing value of African culture and treated Africans as inferior, primitive, uncivilized savages. Furthermore, he treated Africans and their continent as the dark force that seduced white men to degenerate. As a result, the responsibility of white men's degradation was shifted to the innocent Africans. Such image of Africans produced by Conrad just meets the need of colonial ideology and that makes Conrad side along with other colonizers whom heattacked.The fifth part analyzes the cultural background for Conrad's colonialism. Conrad lived in the prevailing imperial culture of Europe where colonialism was presented and seen as a noble, disinterested impulse to civilize and raise the spiritual and intellectual consciousness of the "backward" people of the earth. It is not surprising that Conrad was influenced by such. European colonial culture.The sixth part draws a conclusion that Conrad reveals his mentality of a colonizer by distorting Africans as primitive, uncivilized savages with his European superiority. But Conrad's colonialism is a by-product of his unconsciousness and discloses his limitation...