An Interpretation Of Conrad’s Heart Of Darkness From Post-colonial Perspective

As a writer who has attracted many critics attention, it is hard to say what the styleof Joseph Conrad’s works is. He was famous for his ambiguity in both the themes of hisstory and the narrative techniques. As a Polish who began to learn English as thirdlanguage in his early twenties, he became one of the greatest masters of English language.Born into an aristocratic family but with quite an unhappy childhood, he lost both hisparents in his teens; he turned his focus to the backward post-colonial world, and showedhis great sympathy to the suffered and hatred to the imperialists. However, as a whiteman, he has his own limitations in stating the colonial practice. Conrad’s diversity inlanguage, family and social background, his special life experience in Africa as a sailor,his unique artistic skills in writing has aroused the author’s attention into writing a thesisof his novel.Generally, Conrad’s novels can be divided into three categories: the navigationnovels, the jungle novels and the social political novels. Basing on his own lifeexperience in African Congo, Heart of Darkness is one of his best known jungle novels.The novel deals with the deep conflicts between the British imperialists and Africannatives, the contradiction of western civilization and the civilization in a simple, innocentAfrican society. It explores the sinister nature rooted in human hearts and the na veself-restraint of African natives at the same time. It reveals the exploitation ofimperialism economically, politically, and culturally. Thus, more than a century hadpassed since its publication, literary critics are still quite interested in commenting itscolonial discourse, its philosophical reflections, its features in modernism, existentialism,etc.Yet so far, there has not been much research on Heart of Darkness particularlyfocusing on the frame work of postcolonial theory. Within this framework, the author ofthis thesis will try to interpret this well-known novella. The purpose of writing this thesisis to prove that facing the severe exploitation, the colonized natives try to push thehegemonic powers to the periphery and try to create a space, economically, politically,and culturally for themselves.This thesis will explore and quote some well-established post-colonial theorists’ ideas in supporting its points. They include: Edward Said’s Orientalism, and his view onthe “Other”; his article in interpreting the relationship between western literary worksand imperialism. Frantz Fanon’s theory on the nature of colonialism and subjugated by it.Although Fanon’s idea is a little bit radical in stating that violence is the most meaningfuland useful way in fighting against post-colonialism, his analysis had revealed part of theessence of colonialism, which I think is ahead of time. Another post-colonial terroristneed to be mentioned is Gayatri Spivak. She made contributions to the Post-colonialtheory with her specific definition of the term “Subaltern”. Within the framework of“subaltern”, the thesis tries to interpret the cultural dominance and resistance reflected inHeart of Darkness. Meanwhile, the thesis will also try to give a relatively thorough probeto get into the real nature of the colonial implications through the examination of thecontext of the novella economically, politically, and culturally.This thesis consists of an introduction with four chapters and a conclusion.The introduction states the significance of Conrad’s Heart of Darkness; the reasonand purpose of interpreting it. The value of writing such a thesis and certain problems itmay solve. It will give a brief introduction of both the family and social background ofConrad, and then a brief summary of the story of Heart of Darkness, including its settingand its plot.Chapter I falls into two major parts. The first part deals mainly with literaturereview of Heart of Darkness in both foreign and domestic research, trying to show thesignificance and value of writing a thesis paper from a post-colonial perspective. Anotherpart is the main part for this chapter----theoretical framework. The author put the novellainto the framework of postcolonial theory, trying to illustrate the definition ofpost-colonial theory and post-colonial criticism, the major theorists and their viewpointsin supporting of the points stated in this thesis.Chapter II is the central chapter for the thesis. It will show the operation ofpost-colonialism in Heart of Darkness. The author will explore how Heart of Darknesscan be applied in the definition and discussion of the terms imperialism andcivilization------the two major topics discussed in most post colonial studies. In addition,since it is a novella based on Conrad’s own experience, his own attitude towardcolonialism and the influence of his identity to the theme of the novel is also important, and will be explored so as to deeply analyze post-colonialism reflected in the theme ofthe novella. Then, the thesis will give a detailed analysis of the operation ofpost-colonialism in Heart of Darkness, its essence---loot and plunder; its practice----anunlimited lust for money and power. Through such analysis, the thesis tries to give thereader a much deeper understanding of Post-colonialism that reflected in Heart ofDarkness.In Chapter III, the thesis tries to theorize the techniques by which the post-colonialHeart of Darkness creates. It discusses the narrative techniques and the art ofcharacterization. The use of metaphors, symbols and other narrative devices try to revealtheir authors’ sympathy for the victimized societies. This novella sets in the AfricanCongo, its narration is studded with proverb and similes which will help to evoke thecultural milieu in which the action takes place. The short crisp sentences used to narrateamusing stories are typical of their people’s cultural consciousness and lend anauthenticity to their language. At the same time, the language exposes the colonial andreligious flavour which the novella contained in them.In Chapter IV, the central topic is Post-colonialism reflected in cultural identity ofHeart of Darkness, including the conflict between the whites’ cross culture dominationand the African natives’ struggle to create their own cultural identity. Colonial powersexploited the original inhabitants of colonies culturally, politically and economically byfair or foul means; oppressed the natives and wounded their sensibility. The colonialbrutality provides the natives an inner strength to fight with unjust cultural system. Theyquestion the existing colonial rules and building up their own cultural identity. Theirefforts had deeply exhibited in Heart of Darkness.In conclusion, the thesis will further state its point of view: By exploiting theAfrican continent, the imperialists had not only seized land, money and power, butimposed its civilization to the natives. The natives had never stopped their efforts inconfronting with this situation; they fighted back by their means, trying to build up theirown identity.