Paper Example on John Conrad: From Congo to Victorian Scholar

John Conrad was born in 1857 and died in 1924. He was an English writer who wrote many novels and short stories. Some of his great known works are "heart of darkness," written in 1902. He lived a private life in the sea and other exotic places, thus becoming famous. Patrick Bratlingers was born in 1941 and currently a professor of English and Victorian studies scholar. Heart of darkness is a summary and a combination of all the experiences received by Conrad when he visited Congo during the Imperialistic rule of King Leopold 2.

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Many scholars have criticized the work of Conrad "Heart of Darkness," claiming the author is such a racist. In this paper, I agree with Brantlinger that Conrad is a racist basing my argument from his work. Interpretation of Conrad being identified as a racist has been made under two basis. One, understanding that through Kurtz, Marlow has been able to identify the truth in his journey, and Marlow declared the winner. Secondly, the relationship between Conrad and Marlow must be well understood because the points delivered by Marlow portray racism. Is Conrad using Marlow to air out his racist views? For instance, Marlow says, "the conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much. What redeems it is the idea only. An idea at the back of it, not a sentimental pretense but an idea. Something you can set up and bow down before and offer a sacrifice to..., pg 21".

"...the earth seemed unearthly. We are accustomed to looking upon the shackled form of a conquered monster, but there you could look at a thing monstrous and free. It was unearthly, and the men were... no, they were not inhuman...". This quote also shows racist Conrad and his racist attitude. Conrad says that every individual has the capability of turning out to be wild. Also, Brantlinger agrees with the critics of Achebe claiming Conrad is such a racist, especially as portrayed in his work "Heart of Darkness."

According to Achebe, the language used by Conrad is one of a racist and full of stereotypes. Whenever there is imperialism, racism is highly evident. For instance, Marlow states that the completion of the earth includes taking away the earth from those who are different in complexion and have a flatter nose. This is a language of racism and believed to be of Conrad because he uses his characters.

Conrad has used evil to portray Africa. In his work, evil is Africa, and where Europeans have been shown to be evil, it is because they have been seen behaving like Africans. This itself is racism. Conrad shows the customs of Africa with lust, violence, and madness and uses metaphors full of bestiality, darkness, and death. He also suggests that traveling in Africa is the same us traveling backward. With such a portrayal, it is therefore right to conclude that Conrad is purely racist. Conrad shapes his source of information by emphasizing cannibalism. Emphasizing cannibalism in Conrad reading about the war in Congo between the then president and the Arabs raises an eyebrow. Instead, Conrad does not write about the war, something that brings in the aspect of broadening the light and the dark, white, and black. Using Marlow, Conrad attributes evil to the European invaders just as a paradox, its attribution to Africans comes in automatically. Omitting the war means that cannibalism is not as a result of war but instead as a result of the daily customs of Congolese. Exaggerating of cannibalism is clear evidence of African racism.

Conrad feels that his story was ambiguous and showed his ambiguity every time he had an opportunity to do. Patrick says that Kurtz takes Africa as "Savagery," the horror. At the dying bed, Kurtz says his last words, which are an indication of his betrayal to civilization and the people he has been worshiping. Conrad is just quoted as a betrayer of civilization, calling himself a hero. Various instances in the story have indicated that racism for Africa is so much present, but its manifestation is not detected because it is considered normal. Conrad and Kurtz consider themselves heroes because what they have done against Africa is not recognized, but the truth is they are racists.

From a feminist side, it is clear to note that the voices that are evident from the "Heart of Darkness" are male and white. For instance, the voice of Kurtz has been evident holding several meetings, thus making Kurtz believe anything (pg 74). Brantlinger confirms to us that Conrad has a voice that can justify any injustice and be acceptable, and he speaks from the center of the heart of darkness, to sum up, and to judge.

Summing up, therefore, Brantlinger concludes that the dying words of Kurtz are something more than an outcry of guilty, fear of death, or the loathing for African "savagery." Instead, they are a reference to the sort of lying idealism, which can justify any behavior. Both Conrad and Kurtz join together to identify as the "hero of spirit." Ironically, Conrads' critic of the empire is anti-imperialism. Therefore, according to Brantlinger, Heart of darkness is which there before was a genuine, grand, and noble enterprise that has changed to a gigantic and atrocious fraud.

Work cited

Brantlinger, P. (1985). Heart of Darkness":" Anti-Imperialism, Racism, or Impressionism?. Criticism, 27(4), 363-385.

Joseph Conrad: a critical biography (pp. 90-254). London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.63-385.