Heart of Darkness Reflection

            A little over a century is a long time. Since 1902 the year in which Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad was published, we have made long strides forward in deteriorating social problems like racism. However Heart of Darkness was published before the notion that all men are equal and should be free, which in turn greatly impacted the tone of the novel as a whole. This made me wonder how the novel might have been different if society had different view on foreigners at the time. Joseph Conrad´s views were surely a byproduct of the mainstream thoughts at the time.

            Our main character from part I Marlow is quite skeptical about the prejudices that his fellow Europeans share. This objective point of view is important because it allows us to view the novel through discerning eyes. However it is important to understand that Marlow still has racist tendencies, he still possesses the typical European mentality that Africans were uncivilized savages and has clear moments of prejudice. For example; “they were dying slowly-it was very clear. They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now-nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation, lying confusedly in the greenish gloom. (83) This quote exemplifies perfectly how Conrad dehumanizes Africans and how his views are shaped by the colonial mindset of the time.

            When coming across works of literature like Heart of Darkness it is important to remember the context in which it was written. The book is a clear example of racism, but would have disagreed with it if you were a European living in 1902? Probably not. This novel clearly demonstrates the influence of society on an individual and reminds us to once in a while questions society’s view.