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Is "Heart of Darkness" a racist novella?

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Is "Heart of Darkness" a racist novella?

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Created by
Anna B
Alina S
Daria Z
Kristina D
Masha V
Julia M
(103)

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Are African people shown only in a negative way? (Kriss)

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Are African people shown only in a negative way? (Kriss)

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YES
*The African natives are referred to as "niggers," "cannibals," "criminals," and "savages."
*The author  refers to Africans as 'unhappy savages' who are tied to each that waggled like tails'. The other by chains and dressed in 'black rags ... a bestial description of forced labourers shows that instead of uplifting the "savage'' from his primitive state, the white man is further dehumanising Africans.
*The fact that they are without names implies not only that they are without an identity, but also that they are without language.
*The African is perceived as 'the prehistoric man' whose voice utters words that 'resembled Ino sounds of human |language.' Marlow reduces the Africans to savages without having any interaction with them. He regards African utterances as an outbreak in a madhouse' being heard by 'sane' white men like himself, even while admitting that he was incapable of "understanding what was being sold. As the Africans are not seen as humans in life, they are similarly denied their 'kinship' with the white man in death.
NO
*“Cannibals” are described as people with some moral qualities. (For the most part Marlow comes to consider all the natives savages, although he expresses some admiration for the cannibals, who must be very hungry but have refrained from attacking the few white men on the boat because of "a piece of paper written over in accordance with some farcical law or other.")
*The Fireman is an African referred to as "an improved specimen." He is very good at firing the boiler, for he believes evil spirits reside within and it is his job to keep the boiler from getting thirsty. Thus, it means that the fireman was able to learn the job and he is not such an “idiot” as other black people.

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Conclusion: Is “Heart of Darkness” a racist novella?

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Conclusion: Is “Heart of Darkness” a racist novella?

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We believe that this work is not racist. It simply reflects what it was like back then, that imperialism and the colonization of Africa were not absolutely positive aspects of history. As for the depiction of Africans as savages - we suppose this is what their culture looked like to Europeans: incomprehensible, alien. Anyone is afraid of what they are not familiar with.

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Was Conrad aware of the modern understanding of racism? (Alina)

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Was Conrad aware of the modern understanding of racism? (Alina)

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YES

•  He travelled a lot, therefore explored other cultures and societies. For instance, Conrad worked for king Leopold in Congo.

•  Conrad made friends with human rights activists. For instance,  with Cunninghame Graham who was a ferocious critic of imperialism, racism and cruelty to any human or animal.

•  He had a personal experience as a representative of ethical minorities.

•  Conrad vividly described many racist events in the book itself, therefore he was aware of how people of that time treated minorities.

NO

•  He belonged to the time & societies of imperialism where racism was normalised.

•  He lived in a developed country (England) where the dominant world view existed.

To sum up, Conrad travelled a lot and had a vast life experience, therefore he saw how people treated minorities and could make his own conclusions.

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Are white people (Europeans) depicted only positively?(Julia)

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Are white people (Europeans) depicted only positively?(Julia)

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YES
— Conrad depicts Africa as an unknown place and a metaphorical battlefield, where a shortage of all "recognizable" mankind for Europeans presented. Therefore, they decided to enter Congo (bring enlightenment and teach indigenous people how to live correctly, citations: “What saves us is efficiency - the devotion to efficiency”, “...higher intelligence, wide sympathies, a singleness of purpose’), despite the risk of being killed

NO
— Europeans want to change Africa in order for the company to benefit off of the native people. The manner of doing this is far from humanism

— The Europeans were supposed to strengthen the colony, but instead they are just greed for ivory

— Europeans use African people as a profit

— The natives are brutalized and exploited by Europeans

— Marlow sees the hypocrisy of the European presence in Africa: forcing alien laws and culture and religion on a people and a place where such ideas have no value

— "Exterminate all the brutes." Kurtz's comment displays how the Europeans kill Africans in order to satisfy their hunt for ivory

In total, the duality of Europeans’ motives reveals their “dark side”, so it proves that white people are not depicted ONLY positively but even more negatively in the novella.

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Was Conrad critical about colonialism?(Dasha Zotenkova) 

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Was Conrad critical about colonialism?(Dasha Zotenkova) 

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YES

Shows that in practice the European colonizers used the high ideals of colonization as a cover to allow them to viciously rip whatever wealth they could from Africa.

Pays more attention to the damage that colonization does to the souls of white colonizers than it does to the physical death and devastation unleashed on the black natives. (e.g. the words of the doctor about going crazy while visits to that places)

Describes the attitude of indigenous people towards the colonizers (they were afraid, powerless and naive, especially those who treated Kurtz as a good)

Shows an obsession of enthusiasts toward the idea: Kurdz abandoned and sacrificed his life at home and his Intended

Describes that place as “one of the dark places of the Earth”

Shows contempt towards colonization:

“The conquest of the earth, which mostly means taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much”.

NO

Marlow’s early life and feelings:

was fascinated by the dark places on maps (uncharted Africa)

compared Romans and Britons, the letter had specialty and efficiency)

These arguments might explain the feelings of enthusiastic colonizers, their desires

: All in all, Conrad mostly criticized colonialism than justified it

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Is Africa the antithesis of Europe and civilization?(Masha Vatutina) 

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Is Africa the antithesis of Europe and civilization?(Masha Vatutina) 

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YES

The antithesis is visible through the use of antonyms. Marlow often uses the phrase, "We penetrated deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness". While every description of African continent is accompanied by such words as “dark” and “darkness”, Europeans are depicted in light colors. For instance, one of the agents wears a blinding white suit.The following black and white images can be found during the whole narration and their presence shows the contrast between Africa and Europe.

Joseph Conrad portrays natives as one mass, having no language and no useful skills.Arfican people are simply exploded as cattle for the benefit of the company. While the locals just lived on the continent and they perceived it as their home, colonialists saw one more opportunity for profit (completely different attitudes towards the place).

NO

Although the author clearly distinguishes between the two worlds, the one that is dark and dangerous still has a serious impact on the representatives of civilization. Kurtz’s madness proves that being in the jungle can blur the border and even a civilized person risks to become a part of so-called darkness.

:Thus, Conrad put more emphasis on showing Africa as a dark and inhuman separate world which has nothing in common with European civilization.

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Can we associate Conrad and Marlow? (Anna B.)

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Can we associate Conrad and Marlow? (Anna B.)

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The critical disputes concerning this topic lasted for decades. The role of the author was exploring a crucial question of his time.

YES

Both character and author had some problems with their streamers while travelling.

Marlow: “‘my streamer was at the bottom of the river...The streamer was sunk’’

Conrad’s experience: ‘When Conrad finally arrived in Kinshasa, the Florida, the steamer of which he had earlier been given command turned out to be severely damaged”

wandering sailors Conrad was inclined for a sea life since he was 17. One day he was happy as had got an opportunity to transport ivory.                    Marlow’s willingness is the research "the mystics and gloomy blankest of blank spaces", that had never been explored by colonization.

Journey in Congo

human soul exploration”.                                                 C: The principal theme in Conrad’s novels is the solitude of the main character or protagonist, as the author felt anxiety, and life was challenging for him. He found out the western hypocrisy, It could be exemplified with his steady relocations and travels around the world.                                                                     M: There are described Marlow’s self-reflection related to his life and the discovery of people’s nature. “...subtle and penetrating essence. It is impossible. We live and dream alone”.  ‘...I can’t bear a lie. It appals me’

Like Marlow, Conrad was profoundly affected by the human depravity he witnessed on his boat tour of European colonialism in Africa.

Marlow was Conrad’s way to explore own feelings implicitly. Marlow is a functional figure to tell more about black people's dehumanization.

NO

The contrast is between their nationalities.   Concerning the national perspective, Conrad had Slavic roots, whereas Marlow was an Englishman.

Author is not a narrator, as it is a fictional story. Persona is always distinct from the author.