A Study Of The British Colonial Empire Image In Conrad's Heart Of Darkness

Joseph Conrad is one of the greatest English novelists in the late nineteenth century.His sea novels mainly concern overseas colonization and expansion in the Victorian era.Heart of Darkness is one of the best representatives of Conrad's sea novels.Based on the textual study of Heart of Darkness as well as the theory of post-colonialism and image,this thesis intends to explore the British colonial empire image constructed in the text from three aspects: the conqueror of African land,the exploiter of African wealth and the invader of local culture.The study aims at exposing the true nature of “The Sun Never Sets” empire in the nineteenth century and the influence which is brought about by British overseas expansion on the African people.Heart of Darkness is based on Conrad's journey to Congo area.Firstly,the thesis mainly explores the British empire's image embodied in the text as the conqueror of African land.The British trading company grabs the African land,which is manifested in setting up trading stations in African ports and the destruction of the local residents' homeland.By military conquest,it completes the imperialist expansion.In the second place,the thesis analyzes the image of British traders as the economic exploiters reflected in the text.On one hand,through making unfair trade with local residents,the British traders plunder the ivory.They hirepeople to dig up the gold in Africa.On the other hand,the colonists in the trading stations take the aborigines as cheap labors and squeeze their surplus values.Finally,the thesis explores the image of British empire as the invader of African culture reflected in the text.In order to legalize the overseas expansion and plundering,the British colonists vilify the image of Africa.Moreover,they impose the British lifestyle and habits on local residents,which is actually a kind of cultural colonization.The study on British colonial empire image in Heart of Darkness unmasks the hypocritical veil of the “emissary of light” and exposes that the true nature of British colonists is an invader.With its advanced navigation technology,the British colonists grab African land,plunder African ivory and gold and invade African culture.Through the imperialist expansion and overseas trade,Britain owns the strong power of maritime.The image of British colonial empire exposed in the text can provide us a deeper understanding of the true nature of British empire.