Colonialism and Imperialism - The White Male and the Other in Heart of

The European, White Male vs. the Other in cheek of Darkness The novella magnetic core of Darkness has, since its publication in 1899, caused much controversy and invited much criticism. While some have hailed its author, Joseph Conrad as producing a work ahead of its time in its treatment and criticism of colonialist practices in the Congo, others, most notably Chinua Achebe, have criticized it for its racist and sexist construction of cultural identity. Heart of Darkness can therefore be described as a text of its time, as the cultural identity of the dominant society, that is, the European male is constructed in opposition to the other, the other in Heart of Darkness being defined as black and/or female. Notions of cultural identity ar largely constructed through speech and setting and are essential to the readers understanding of the text. While many characters are critiqued or criticized by Conrad for their exploitation of Africa and its inhabitants, they remain the domin ant and superior race, both according to Conrad, and his primary cashier Charlie Marlow. The African characters are not only constructed as other, but also as inferior and to an extent subhuman. This is evident through their lack of language or voice throughout the text. Africans are denied language, and are instead granted grunting noises and a violent babble of mouth sounds relegating them to an inferior status. Only on two occasions are the natives given language and expression by the author. Firstly, when cannibalism is seen to overcome them, and one of then when asked what they will do with the body of one of the stillborn crew, replies Eat im. The second occasion is when the enigmatic figure of Kurtz... ...constructing women as the other, not being able to cope with the truth and facts of life, Conrad asserts the superiority and dominance of the tweed male. In Heart of Darkness, cultural identity and the dominance of the European, white male is constructed and asserted through the constructions of the other, that is the African natives and females, largely through language and setting. Thus, era claims of Conrads forwardness in producing a text that critiques colonialism may be valid, Heart of Darkness is ultimately a product of its time and therefore confirms the contextual notions of difference. Bibliography Conrad, J. Heart of Darkness. London Penguin Group. 1995. Achebe, C. An image of Africa Racism in Conrads Heart of Darkness 1975. Sarvan, C.F. Racism and Heart of Darkness 1982.