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  • Essay / Review of the novel "The Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad

    Like any ambitious nation, one of its main goals to achieve is to expand its territories in foreign countries, especially in countries with resources to contribute with and of innocent people who could be dominated easily. The act of imperialism refers to taking control of another's government, system, influence, or authority through one's country's power or military force. The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad talks about the imperialism experienced in Belgium and the Congo by Europeans, its main characters are Marlowe and Kurtz. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay He begins to tell a piece of the life Marlowe lived as a sort of sailor, he accepts a new job as a navigator to a place that he always wanted to know about because of its shape on the maps, as he was getting closer to their destiny, he was realizing their goals, namely to take control of this specific part of the Belgian Congo in Africa. When he arrived in the territory, he observed the conditions in which he found himself. “A group of men, mostly naked blacks, were moving like ants” (Heart of Darkness p. 24). With this phrase we could infer that Europeans were conquering the land due to their ability to use Africans as slaves for their own profit using their labor, Marlowe mentions some activities they practiced, implying that they were being exploited. At that time, the continent's population was vulnerable due to their lack of knowledge about the world. One might assume that the steamship's goal was to be able to conquer more territory in the shortest possible time. “since strength is only luck born from the weakness of others” (The Heart of Darkness p. 9) It was easy for Europeans to possess superior authority over the natives due to their intelligence developed before departure , a well-dressed white man, it was enough to impose rules to take control. “A nasty guy who takes ivory from the natives” (Heart of Darkness p. 53) This means that one of the main natural resources in abundance in their country was ivory, the Europeans used to apply harsh methods in order to To obtain the greatest quantity of material possible and derive the greatest benefit from it, all natives were required to work for them, whatever the health consequences this might have. “A group of men, mostly naked blacks, were moving like ants” (Heart of Darkness p. 24). Another example mentioned in the reading is how Europeans referred to Africans, they were seen as just a tool to work hard day and night. , for they were all equally without distinction; if they were black, they could use them. Before beginning to conquer Belgium and the Congo, Europeans made sure they had intelligent people well prepared to create new strategies of conquest "and if he works as secretary to the director, it's because no man intelligent cannot absurdly reject the trust placed in him by his superiors” (The Heart of Darkness p. 46) Kurtz was that man, the one who had enough authority and knowledge deserved to be admired, mainly by Marlow, he had want to know him. “The approach of this Kurtz who extracted the ivory from this damned jungle was surrounded by as many dangers as the visit of an enchanted princess” (Heart of Darkness p. 68). He ruled over everything, what he said was done, but the disadvantage they had was the.