#5

    Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness portrays the inherent and erroneous belief that the white man has of the black man, specifically the belief in the African's inferiority to the white European.  The European imperialist, represented by Marlow, views the African as a backward and barbaric savage.  The savage is not seen as a human and therefore has no value to Marlow.  This attitude toward the African is seen when Marlow's African helmsman dies from a mortal wound: 'The man ad rolled on his back and stared straight up at me; both his hands clutched that cane..my shoes were full; a pool of blood lay very still, gleaming dark under the wheel; his eyes shone with an amazing lustre...I had to make an effort to free my eyes from his gaze and attend to the steering" (Conrad 122).  Clearly Conrad sees the likeness between the black man and the white man.  Both bleed the same color blood, both die eventually.  It is clear that the African is not a mere savage but also human.  However, even after seeing that both races share humanity, Marlow reverts back to his devaluing of the black race when he expresses that in truth he is "morbidly anxious to change [his] shoes and socks" (Conrad 122).  After a death people are usually sober and want to attend to the mourning and sadness that comes with the passing of a human life from the world.  Marlow does not view the African as a human therefore his death is so insignificant that instead of wanting to care for the dead body, he turns to his shoes and focuses on how soiled they are from being bloodied by the helmsman's blood.  Still Marlow returns to the expected reaction toward death when he "misse[s] his late helmsman awfully" (Conrad 128).  Marlow humanizes the African here by having a longing for him.  He shows that there is an empty space without the African being there, this a human to human reaction toward death.  Yet even after expressing this longing for his old helper Marlow further dehumanizes the helmsman calling him a "savage" and saying that he "was no more account than a grain of sand in a black Sahara" (Conrad 128).  A grain of sand is worth nothing, in comparing the African to a grain of sand Marlow says the helmsman is worth nothing.  Although the European emissaries of imperialism tend to recognize an common ancestry between themselves and the African people, Conrad articulates through Marlow's thoughts that they will always dehumanize the black man and believe him to be inferior.

#4

   In  Joseph Conrad's short novel Heart of Darkness displays the European view of the inhumanity found within the natives of Africa.  However, as the story progresses Conrad begins to show the relation between the seemingly primitive peoples of the African Congo and the civilized Europeans.  Conrad's protagonist Marlow recognizes the relation as he journeys further into the Congo.  He sees how the African natives, "howled and leaped, and spun, and made horrid faces; but what thrilled you was just the thought of their humanity-- like yours-- the thought of your remote kinship with this wild and passionate uproar. Ugly" (Conrad 108-109).  Marlow begins describing the actions of the natives as something barbaric with "horrid faces" and savage movements such as "leaping" and "howling".  These are actions that would never be done within the civilized domain of the white man. Yet, even as Marlow recognizes these actions as animalistic, and thus makes the African people non-human, Marlow is cognisant of the fact that there is a "kinship with this wild and passionate uproar".  Here Conrad demonstrates that although uncivilized there is some similarity between the savage and the civilized.  At the same time Conrad is saying that there is still a major difference: the primitive African remains backward while the European has left the primeval state and become a beautiful creature.  The beauty that the European evolved into makes him superior to his ancestrally related African counterpart.  Conrad describes the 'kinship" as ugly.  For the civilized Westener it is disgusting to think that at one time people of his culture were in the same backward state as the African, yet that is the ugly truth.  Through Marlow's realization of these facts Conrad shows that although there is a relation between the imperialist culture and the primeval culture, the imperialist still has reason to look down upon the culture that is still within the primitive state.  This patronizing done by the imperialist power gives reason for the dehumanization suffered by the less modern culture.

#2

   The world found in Heart of Darkness is one of pure greed in which the end justifies the means in the goal of rising to the top.  The station is a model for the way that imperialism is done in Africa by the European nations.  Upon reaching the wait station Marlow sees that the men are "all waiting...for something...They beguiled their time by back-biting and intriguing against each other. There was an air of plotting about that station, but nothing became of it...The only real feeling was a desire to get appointed to a trading-post where ivory was to be had so that they could earn percentages.  They intrigued and slandered and hated each other only on that account" (Conrad 93).  There seems to be only one thing on the minds of the imperialist agents on the content: to rise in power and gain more money.  To do this they put down anyone in their path through slander and intrigue.  This is part of the backbone of imperialism.   Those who are in it are in it for the monetary gain and the power and prestige that comes with ruling over others.  These men have a machiavellian way of getting what they want.  So also do the imperialist powers.  At the expense of others the men work to get themselves in a position where they will gain more for themselves.  So also do the imperialist governments gain at the expense of others.  They work the natives to death, rape and exploit the land, only to get themselves a profit and empower their own nations.  All of this comes from a heart of darkness.

#1

  In Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Conrad demonstrates the brutal nature of European imperialism.  Marlow the story's protagonist tells his story of traveling on an imperialist venture as a seaman.  Imperialism is a system of defeat and conquer.  One nation believing itself to be superior overwhelms and influences another nation in order to exploit and utilize the so called inferior assets for its own good.  Marlow defines imperialists as being "no colonists" but rather "conquerors".  The difference is that the colonist remains to settle the other nation whereas the conqueror comes only to take advantage of and overcome the nation.  For this an imperialist needs "only brute force".  This thoroughly describes the mechanism of imperialism by the European continent over all the other continents of the world.  Imperialism comes from one country being stronger than another and being able to force its power onto the other nation.  The strength of this nation is "just an accident arising from the weakness of others" (Conrad 69).   Europe's strength over the rest of the world was a mere accident.  Had not Africa or Australia been stronger it would be these nations that would be recorded in the history books as imperialist powers.  The sadness of imperialism is that there is no chance for the weaker nation.  No amount of fighting back in the beginning will weaken the grip of the imperialist power.  The accidental strength is too much to take on.  It violates the weaker country.  The imperialist is only the imperialist by chance.  It is an unfair system that takes advantage of the weak and strengthens the strong.  

#13

  Real power is found in exerting strength over others.  Often exertion of power means making others suffer.  This is exactly what the Party does to Winston in George Orwell's 1984.  Power often shows man's cruelty toward man.  What the Party really wants is to have complete power over Winston.  The metaphorical boot has not completely crushed Winston's face, Winston has not yet suffered to the point of full and complete submission to the Party's power.  The Party's exertion of strength is found in making others suffer.  This comes through the elimination of humanity, emotion, and all things that give people joy.  The power that the Party finds in causing the suffering of others is clearly demonstrated in the torture Winston undergoes in Room 101: "By itself," he said, "pain is not always enough.  There are occasions when a human being will stand out against pain even to the point of death.  But for everyone there is something unendurable-something that cannot be contemplated...For you, they are unendurable.  They are a form of pressure that you cannot withstand, even if you wish to.  You will do what is required" (Orwell 284).   Taking Winston's biggest fear and placing it in front of him in order to induce obedience is a cruel thing to do, it is a power hungry thing to do.   Causing another person serious suffering in order to obtain his obedience is something the Party specializes in.  Room 101 is the major device with which the Party goes about this.  When people are suffering they will do almost anything to end the suffering.  In the end suffering brings about obedience.  Obedience acknowledges the power that one has over another.  For the Party suffering and obedience go hand in hand.  As the citizens of Oceania suffer and obey, the Party holds complete power.  As Winston suffers and then betrays Julia the power wields power again, power over emotions.  Absolute power is what the Party wants, and absolute power can only come with the suffering of the masses.

#12

         Power is a drug.  It brings the truest euphoria.  Once it is obtained it is hard to give away.  It becomes a strong addiction.  Lethal as it may be it is harbored and imbibed recklessly without stop.  George Orwell's 1984 portrays this aspect of power very clearly.  Winston Smith, the protagonist, continues to be re-indoctrinated under the care of O'Brien.  He is now in the second phase, the phase in which he learns why the party does what it does.  The answer to his question of why the party continues to do what it does is simple yet chilling, O'Brien explains the party's motives saying, " The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake.  We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power.  Not wealth or luxury or long life or happiness; only power, pure power...We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it.  Power is not a means it is an end" (Orwell 263).  Here O'Brien puts it simply: dictators never take power for the good of others, rather they do it only to wield power, to control others.  This explanation is very blunt and astonishing.  Human nature tends to believe the best in others.  Yet in O'Brien's explanation it is very apparent that human nature is not inherently good.  Humans like power, people want power.  The Party is honest about this addiction that humans have to power.  They know that it exists yet, instead of hiding behind the age old explanation of usurping power for the good of others, they blatantly state that they have such a selfish and greedy motive.  Based on this illustration it is safe to say that Orwell argues that those who take power do not take power for any reason other than to have power itself.  Power is the envy of those who do not have it and the  potent stimulant of those who hold it.

#11

      Orwell's 1984 tells the story of how a totalitarian regime systematically destroys the individual and the individual's free thought.  After being arrested Winston has suffered unspeakable horrors.  He has been beaten tortured, questioned, and with no relief.  He has confessed to every crime under the sun but it is still not enough for the Party.  Now he has begun the Party's process of cleansing his thought.  This process brings Winston face to face with O'Brien, a man Winston once thought he could trust, but who turned out to be instead an agent of the Party out to destroy Winston.   Ever since Winston's enlightenment he has held onto truth.  He realized that although the Party could take away everything else the truth would still exist and if Winston still knew the truth he would still be in the right.  The truth Winston felt, was unchangeable.  As Winston goes through cleansing with O'Brien he realizes that in fact the party can change the truth.  This realization comes as O'Brien tests Winston on the truth of what his eyes can see: " How many fingers am I holding up Winston?  Four.  And if the Party says that it is not four but five- then how many?  Four.  The word ended in a gasp of pain." (Orwell 249).  O'Bren continues to torture Winston until finally Winston truly sees five fingers for a brief instant.  He succeeds in doublethink for an instant.  The Party has the power to change lie to truth.  Their power is concentrated in the human mind.  When people like Winston feel that they have finally found the truth they find themselves lost because the Party has instilled fear, awe, and a system in which they can change the truth the doublethink.  The Party has the power if a human gives them the power.  Winston has finally relinquished the power he had within his mind.  He has given it to the Party to alter facts, create their own truths and rectify the past.  It was inevitable because in the world of 1984 all power belongs to the government: the Party.