Major Themes And Societal Importance Of The Heart Of Darkness

Major Themes and Societal Importance of the Heart of Darkness Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is one of the most well known novels written about Africa in U.S history. This novel provides individuals with a look inside the horrid functioning of the Congo, highlighting many imperialistic, inhumane, and discriminatory acts that made it one of the most cruel and insatiable colonies in African history. Conrad expresses his anti-imperialist views through Marlow, illustrating the horrors Marlow witnessed on his voyage to the inner station, giving the novel a racist stigma. It is these major themes that give this novel importance in society. Imperialism, or the act of applying military force to extend a country’s influence, was one of the most common practices utilized by European nations in Africa. In the beginning of the novel, the unnamed narrator expresses the belief that imperialism is fundamental in distributing a nation’s power. For example, when talking about the beauty of the Thames in part 1, the narrator does not describe its physical attributes, but instead explains how it has served some of the greatest explorers and their dreams. He says, â€Å"What greatness had not floated on the ebb of that river into the mystery of an unknown earth!...The dreams of men, the seed of commonwealths, the germs of empires† (Conrad, 5). The narrator recalls the achievements of these men who partook in imperialism in a commemorative tone, inferring to the reader that imperialism was widelyShow MoreRelatedExamine the Significance of Blank Spaces in Conrads Heart of Darkness?2902 Words   |  12 Pagesmore Â… it had become a place of darkness. (Heart of Darkness) Examine the significance of ‘blank spaces in THREE novels of the 19th and/or early 20th centuries. The ellipsis in the titular quote refers to an important omission: it [the blank space] had got filled since my boyhood with rivers and lakes and names. 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