Colonialism: From Roman Britain to Neo-Colonialism - Essay Sample

Introduction

In Joseph Conrad's Heart of Dixie, colonialism is discussed in great lengths. Colonialism is identified as the practice of having full control over another nation, occupying it with people from the colonizing country, and exploiting its resources fully. Indeed, according to Conrad, colonialism has not changed from the days of the Roman Empire conquering Britain, to the European conquest of Africa (particularly the British invasion); to date neo-colonialism is still rife. The only real change over the period has been the weaponry, which has become sophisticated (Zimmerman 277). On the other hand, imperialism by Conrad is civilizing the natives from a different region. It is a form of colonialism that has a useful purpose according to Conrad. Marlow, the main character in the Heart of Dixie approves imperialism and views it with a lot of positive attributes. It is because the African conquest usually starts with missionaries spreading Christianity although the main reason is often colonization (Joseph 4-38). The purpose of this essay is to discuss colonialism and imperialism from Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness and comparing it with today's contemporary world.

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From the read, the British Empire entered Congo with the main agenda of exploiting it economically. The colonialists take the ivory, make money from the trade, and have zero regards for the native people or their land. They go further to build outposts ad establish their government and laws which the natives are forced to follow. According to Marlow, the British Empire are there mainly for the ivory, and any other thing they do in the process which they try to maintain is the aim even though the print media back home told stories of the British imperialist work that they were doing in Africa. What Marlow saw on the ground was contrary to the stories back home and identified this as a form of negative imperialism. Colonization depends solely on racism and greed. Kurtz was an excellent example of a person who was driven by greed and the desire to have authority over others. It is indicative of how humans are capable of changing who they are all for selfish gains, something that is unfortunately still being experienced today. What Conrad witnessed in Africa was unexpected, and he saw the natives reduced to status only equal to that of an animal (Joseph 14-45).

The British conquest at the Congo can be equated to the Roman Empire's conquest of Britain, which was all about showing dominance through robbery with violence. The violence was murder done on a large scale on the British natives, which was an unpardonable event in history. It was a form of imperialism with negative consequences as it left the natives dead, marginalized, and worse than they were before politically, economically, and socially (Joseph 10-19).

In today's world, there are forms of colonialism and imperialism, all taking place concurrently. The beauty of today's world is that more people are educated, are more knowledgeable and can speak out. However, there are those others who are suffering from forms of cruelty but are unable to speak out. Many among us feel that they are 'more equal than others', which is in itself, a form of modern-day colonialism (Zimmerman 275).

The US is a nation that has diversity at the heart of its definition. It is a region of the world that is cosmopolitan, with nearly every part of the world represented in one way or the other. As the economic giant, the US has taken upon itself to meddle into other nation's business. Their intentions are solely for personal gain although they indicate that they are trying to help these nations get political stability. Many oil-producing countries in the Middle East have undergone periods of civil wars that have made these regions unstable and unsafe for the natives. The US has been accused that their intentions are usually for their common good, which is a new-age form of colonization and imperialism. Although there is no indication that the US establish their government and rules, their main agenda is getting the oil which they need for running their industries back home (Jones 208-218).

China has grown to become an economic giant over the last couple of decades. With the growth, it has sought the need to extend its position across borders to continue its economic dominance. Africa is the next frontier, and these economic giants including the US have taken a keen interest in Africa. China has ventured into Africa, become an investment partner with many African nations building infrastructure and offered loans and grants to these African nations. All these China indicates are aimed at helping Africa grow itself. However, over the last few years, many African countries have felt the effect of the loans which they took with significant corporations being used as security. Because of failing to pay the loans, China has taken over some of these corporations including ports and other essential facilities. Zambia is a good example that saw China take over its harbor. The same is also experienced in other nations in Asia such as Sri Lanka (Langan 93-116). This is a new form of imperialism because it is clear that there is a hidden agenda from the help provided.

Conclusion

In conclusion, colonialism and imperialism are still evident today. Although they are not done in the same manner, the main aim is having economic dominance, and getting significant resources from these regions of the world. Joseph Conrad portrays how things on the ground were different from what was reported back home. Indeed, the greed for economic gain and authority saw heinous acts against humanity done to the natives of Congo. It is clear from the examples provided that economic giants are usually the ones who are involved in colonization all through history. In the end, it takes all of us to stand up against forms of cruelty meted on people with ill intentions and motives.

Works Cited

Jones, T. C. "America, Oil, and War in the Middle East." Journal of American History, vol. 99, no. 1, 2012, pp. 208-218.

Joseph, Conrad. Heart of darkness. Strelbytskyy Multimedia, 2017.

Langan, Mark. "Emerging Powers and Neo-Colonialism in Africa." Neo-Colonialism and the Poverty of 'Development' in Africa, 2017, pp. 89-117.

Zimmerman, Andrew. "The Colonization of Antislavery and the Americanization of Empires." Making the Empire Work, 2015, pp. 267-288.