Theme Of Imperialism In Heart Of Darkness - 1052 Words

Karl Marx’s school of thought, also known as Marxism, relates society back to economic and political motive. The school of thought says that economic power is the fuel behind all peoples motives. He also states that socioeconomic statuses in our society is what divides us into subgroups. This imperialistic way of thinking is is beneath the surface all throughout Joseph Conrad’s book, Heart of Darkness. The book is centered around a sailor named Marlow, who is sailing up the Congo river to transport ivory. Conrad shows the readers the exploitation of the natives by the Europeans for their ivory through the eyes of Marlow. The novel reaffirms Marxism through its ideas of imperialism. Imperialism is a theme throughout the entire book. Conrad†¦show more content†¦Just as Karl Marx’s theory, Heart of Darkness shows the socioeconomic divisions within the novel. Conrad shows this in multiple ways, one of which being him showing the different levels of hierarchy within management of the trading company. This is most easily explained in the quote from the book, â€Å"Now, if he does not say the right thing to them we are all done for, said the Russian at my elbow† (Conrad 133). In this quote Marlow is recalling something said by one of the Russians. The Russian is explaining that they could be so easily gotten rid of by someone higher up in the hierarchy. Because they are lower on the totem pole, they have no job security, and no say in anything. This reaffirms Karl Marx’s theory of Marxism because it is all about socioeconomic status. Marx states that socioeconomic status created a divide within classes, which is clearly shown here in this quote, as well as throughout the entire book. While Heart of Darkness is a story with a theme revolving around imperialism and socioeconomic divides, I do believe that Conrad’s goal wasnt to show his support for it, but to show how corrupt the society actually is. In the book, Kurtz, who is meant to represent the wealthy class, try to rub his values off onto the lower class, who in this story happens to be the natives. However, as the story progresses I think that Conrad was trying to expose him for what 2 he really is, aShow MoreRelatedTheme Of Imperialism In Heart Of Darkness1662 Words   |  7 PagesDehumanization of the World as a Result of New Imperialism In the age of New Imperialism, European nations rushed to gain advantage over ruling Africa, most specifically Congo, to expand economic prospects under the guise that they were civilizing the natives of these areas. 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