19th century Europe experienced a strong phase of expansion under the imperialist design via the enterprise of

geographical exploration. Under the garb of exploration, unchecked exploitation of human and natural resources
went on in full swing, hidden behind the façade of philanthropic work or a “civilizing mission” undertaken by a
major part of Europe, particularly the British. The novella Heart of Darkness traces the experiences of the
narrator Marlow in the Congo basin of Africa through the lens of colonization and presents his subsequent
disillusionment with the idea of imperialism. It also provides a bridge between Victorian values and the ideals
of Modernism. Imperialism is nevertheless at the heart of Heart of Darkness. By the 1890s, most of the world’s
“dark places” had been invaded by European control, and the major European powers were stretched thin,
trying to administer and protect massive, far-flung empires. Cracks were beginning to appear in the system:
riots, wars, and the abandonment of commercial enterprises all threatened the white men living in the distant
corners of empires.
Joseph Conrad portrays the disillusionment experienced by him by presenting the dark side of imperialism
through the usage of dark imagery and symbolism which are the literal darkness of the African people, the
perceived darkness or ignorance of their community by the Europeans, the inhumane aspect of European
colonialism and the individual darkness within a person.
Conrad uses Marlow to convey a contradictory stance on Imperialism, the absurd reality that separates the
official propagated ideal of the civilizing mission of Africa, from the exploitation of the natives as forced
workers, draining the natural raw resources with the pretense of providing the Africans with an industrial
civilization. Marlow narrates how this conception is wrought with irony as the Britishers, who claim to carry the
torch of civilization were themselves given that torch by the Romans. The ideology of Imperialism tended to
over-romanticize the prospect of imperial expansion and neglected the inhumane treatment that the people of
many conquered countries were subjected to in the name of imperialism.
Conrad’s personal life was closely linked to the colonial experience from both ends- as a victim of the Russian
imperialists and a server of the British empire. Self admittedly, Conrad had a point of view that was of an
Englishman, however he argued that “…the conclusion should not be drawn that I have become an
Englishman”. This statement elicits an important question of identity. He warns against his identification as an
Englishman yet fundamentally contradicts that argument in the anglicization of his name, thus cutting ties with
his Polish identity. Where do his loyalties lie?
Heart of Darkness presents a critique of imperialism through ironic instances. The pilgrims who want to
exercise control over and domesticate not just the so-called “savages” but also the wilderness, end up being
transformed themselves. Their power is not absolute, rather it arises out of the weakness of their subject.
Imperialism operates in the novel on two levels. The more ostensible is within the plot, culminating in the
character of Kurtz. Sumanyu Satpathy presents an important critique when he says that the ornamental heads
killed by Kurtz are food for vultures; the vultures being a metaphor for “Leopold and the imperialist forces all
of whom are represented in the lone figure of Kurtz.” The more subtle way in which imperialism makes itself
present is embedded in the narrative itself- it is the unquestioned authority exercised by the narrator. Conrad has
been praised for his Modernist, Impressionist form of writing however it cannot be ignored that he is a white
man walking a dangerous line in trying to maintain a balance between depicting the Africans truthfully while
maintaining their integrity and not projecting them as a helpless community.
The most fundamental stone on which the design of colonization is laid is the Eurocentric belief that the subject
countries are intellectually backward and incapable of governing themselves. This is how the infantilization of
colonial subjects is achieved. Post-colonial studies show that the white man considers it his burden to show the
light of reason to and act as a guiding hand to colonial subjects. This is where the root of the metaphor of light
and darkness as knowledge and ignorance lies, which upon deconstruction is revealed to be a Eurocentric idea.
Tzvetan Todorov comments on this metaphor of darkness and light saying, "in principle, and in keeping with
the metaphors inscribed in the English language, darkness is equivalent to ignorance, light to knowledge. We
can see various manifestations of how this metaphor comes forth in the text. When Marlow is on the boat with
the crew and he is talking about the river Thames, he makes a statement that hints to the historical reality; "and
this (Thames) also, has been one of the dark places of the earth", later making a remark saying, "when the
Romans first came here, 1900 years ago- the other day...light came out of this river since" indicating to how
'light' holds positive connotations which relate to the corollary of the civilizing mission. This is how language
plays a significant role in substantiating and cementing inherently racist metaphors.
Despite of the heavily political and humanistic implications of the novella, many critics deny to regard it as
having "imperialist" tendencies and instead of approaching the novel from a post colonial eye, take other
aspects of the narrative into consideration. Jonah Raskin, in his essay titled “Imperialism: Conrad's Heart of
Darkness” refers to this attitude of literary critics when they analyze the text and says, "literary critics have
neglected imperialism and transformed the novella into a timeless myth about the exploration of the human soul
and the metaphysical power of evil." Imperialism in the novel is brought to the fore through the structural ideas
and conventions of Eurocentric imperialism juxtaposed with the ground reality that is unveiled through the
character of Marlow. Chinua Achebe, in “An Image of Africa” talks of African representation in the novella and
states "Heart of Darkness projects the image of Africa as the 'other world', antithesis of Europe and therefore of
civilization, a place where man's vaunted intelligence and refinement are finally mocked by triumphant
bestiality."
Even though it appears as if the text is an untiring advocate of the institution of imperialism, it still contains
slight or indirect indications to the fact that Conrad didn’t necessarily ally himself with the Eurocentric
imperialist ideology. Despite the demonstration of African people as a group belonging to a ‘savage’, 'barbaric'
race, who are incapable of 'civilising' themselves, the sensibility and empathy that materializes on Marlow’s
part, proves to be a stark transformation in his understanding of imperialism from a Eurocentric perspective.
Some critics also view the work Heart of Darkness as a testimony to the bigoted imperialist ideologies that left
the Africans, mercilessly tortured and victimized. Conrad's inclusion of the kind of treatment that was given to
the Africans and his word play that signified the inferior status that was given to the Africans, could also be
seen as a radical step on his part, documented with the aim of revolting against the unjust malpractices of the
institution of imperialism. By intermixing these two antithetical ideologies, perhaps Conrad wanted his target
readership to analyse the novella from a subjective point of view, and introspect the quintessential questions of
how much of truth is truth, and how far can one rely on it.