#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.