Abstract
The paper analyses the underlying racism present in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. Although Heart of Darkness has been considered one of the greatest works of art ever since it was first published, one aspect of the novel has been a constant source of criticism and debate among scholars and readers: racism. Whether this novel is racist is a question of utmost importance because this question puts the greatness of the novel in doubt. The purpose of this study is to answer this very question of racism through the analysis of the author’s point of view, characterization, visual description, use of symbols and language used in the novel with regards to racism. Through the analysis it has been concluded that through Conrad’s method of narration, style and literary skill, Conrad expertly masks racist viewpoints and hides the fact that at its core, Heart of Darkness is in fact a racist novel.
Highlights
IntroductionThe point of my observations should be quite clear namely that Joseph Conrad was a thoroughgoing racist
The point of my observations should be quite clear namely that Joseph Conrad was a thoroughgoing racist. That this simple truth is glossed over in criticisms of his work is due to the fact that white racism against Africa is such a normal way of thinking that its manifestations go completely unremarked (Achebe 176) Joseph Conrad delves deeply into significant issues of the post-colonial era in his celebrated novel, Heart of Darkness
Heart of Darkness belongs to the Post-Colonial Literature genre which primarily focused on the colonialism and imperialism of European nations
Summary
The point of my observations should be quite clear namely that Joseph Conrad was a thoroughgoing racist That this simple truth is glossed over in criticisms of his work is due to the fact that white racism against Africa is such a normal way of thinking that its manifestations go completely unremarked (Achebe 176) Joseph Conrad delves deeply into significant issues of the post-colonial era in his celebrated novel, Heart of Darkness. If Heart of Darkness is a racist novel, according to most scholars this apparent classic can never be classified as a true work of art. Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness depicted a real image of the cruelty, brutality and racism that took place in the African continent during the 19th century.
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