Name: Arunima Sethi

Roll number: 170409

Submitted to: Ms. Neha Khurana
Question: With special reference to narrative techniques, comment on how Conrad engages
with the theme of colonialism in the “Heart of Darkness”.

“Heart of Darkness” was written by Joseph Conrad in 1898. Published after Conrad’s own
personal voyages and experiences, “Heart of Darkness” is taken to be an autobiographical
text in many ways. The novella is written in an unconventional manner by using different
techniques of narrative and various themes. “Heart of Darkness” is the story of a sailor named
Marlow who travels and explores the regions of Congo in Africa. The whole story is the
narrative of Conrad, given through Marlow and a frame narrator, to the readers. The text tries
to unfold the brutality and issues done in the name of civilization during colonialism and
imperialism.

Conrad used different narrative techniques in his text. In “Heart of Darkness”, there is a
frame narrative that takes place. Conrad has a narrative going within a narrative. Even though
he is himself not present in the novella, his narrator Marlow is the one he is speaking through.
In “Heart of Darkness” the frame narrator who introduces the readers to Marlow remains
anonymous. It is, more often than not, suspected that the anonymous narrator can be Conrad
himself. Through the opening lines of the novella, the frame narrator lays down the basic
themes and issues that would be undertaken by Marlow further. The introductory lines show
the gloomy city of Africa in comparison with the bright London. Through the lines, “In the
offing sea and the sky were welded together… The air was dark above Gravesend, and the
farther back still seemed condensed into a mournful gloom, brooding motionless over the
biggest, and the greatest, town on earth”, Conrad also introduces the theme of trading which
will lead to colonialism. In the words of Edward Said, Conrad has used the retrospective
method to convey his thoughts. Marlow moves back and forth in his narrative.

Conrad never reveals the immediate thought of his protagonist narrator. The reader is never
told about what Marlow hears or sees immediately or directly. The readers are always kept on
their toes to understand what is going on in the novella. Cedric Watts has named this method
“delayed decoding”. A very prominent example of this narrative technique is the description
of the attack that the blacks initiated on Marlow’s steam engine. Conrad writes “I saw my
poleman give up the business suddenly, and stretch himself flat on the deck… Sticks, little
sticks were flying about… I could only hear the heavy splashing thump of the stern-wheel
and the patter of these things. We cleared the snag clumsily. Arrows, by Jove! We were being
shot at!” (pg.50) Conrad, through this method ensures that his narrative is simultaneously
progressing and regressing. Conrad uses memory as an important technique to drive the
readers’ mind.

Colonialism is a recurring theme of the novella. According to a critic, Conrad “analyses the
colonialism and racism in novel using post colonialism perspective.” Conrad uses his
writings to reflect the existence of robbery, treachery and atrocities to boost earnings. “They
grabbed what they could get for the sake of what was to be got. It was just robbery with
violence, aggravated murder on a great scale, and men going at it blind—as is very proper for
those who tackle a darkness.”(p. 9-10) These lines show the brutality and oppression faced by
the black people. Along with colonialism racism also was a prevailing theme in the “Heart of
Darkness”. Imperialist thoughts were also put forward through the character of the white men
and Kurtz mainly. Kurtz, in the name of trading was actually expanding the commercial area.
Orientalism is also at the center of the text.

The oppressions of Africans by the Europeans is another indicator of colonialism in the

novella. Africa always described as a dark place and the people always looked down upon as
animals or objects in the entire novel seem to always highlight the fact of creating a hierarchy
(often seen as an orientalist attitude). Through the entire novella, Conrad shows that how
European colonizers use colonialism as a cover to extract out wealth from Africa.

Conrad though his techniques has been continuously bring forth the theme of colonialism.
His writings are somewhat influenced by his own life. Conrad uses Marlow’s narration of
various instances to showcase the prevailing situation of colonization and imperialism
affecting the natives of Congo. The whole book is meant to disclose that the whites had
become unsuccessful in colonizing Congo. Rather the whites had become exploiters in the
name of explorers.

Conrad has quite intelligently used the characters, through whom he speaks about the
symbols and further about the theme of colonialism. For instance, Marlow is told by the
manager of the Central Station that Kurtz collects more ivory than all the other agents put
together. The Russian tells Marlow that, on one occasion, Kurtz had threatened to kill him if
he did not surrender to Mr. Kurtz a small portion of ivory which the Russian has received as a
gift from a native tribal chief. Hence, Conrad shows that ivory symbolizes the white man’s
greed and commercial mentality of colonizing and commercializing the land of the natives.

Conclusively, Conrad, throughout his book “Heart of Darkness”, attempts to inform the
readers about the actual character of colonialism. Conrad tells us that colonialism is a cruel
process that seeks to erase all reforming beliefs, conquer lands, and involves a huge number
of bloodshed and death of individuals fighting for more control, reputation and capitals. In
the words of a critic, Conrad “reveals that colonialism is just a brutal fight for domination”
and a quest for power in a foreign or new land where exploitation tops over humanity.
Conrad, through his narrator Marlow showcases the journey of Marlow up to Congo and into
the heart of darkness from a ”luminous” life of Europe only to captivate and quench his thirst
of power. The true purpose of colonialism is neither a purpose undertaken in terms of
humanity nor for the sake of civilization and the novel is able to describe the truth about the
colonizers and the imperialists. Instead of finding any civilized effect of colonialism, Conrad
has shown the callous and bullied nature of the Whites. At the end, Conrad attempts to show
the hollowness of imperialism and has done it extremely well by using an unconventional
narrative technique.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Web source: <https://www.bachelorandmaster.com/britishandamericanfiction/narrative-

technique-in-heart-of-darkness.html#.XacvfegzbIU>

Web source: <https://study.com/academy/lesson/colonialism-in-heart-of-darkness-quotes-

examples.html>

Web source:
<https://www.academia.edu/5089801/Heart_of_Darkness_A_Critique_of_Colonalism?/>

ITSNAINI BAROROH MARFU’AH, COLONIALISM AND RACISM REFLECTED IN

JOSEPH CONRAD’S HEART OF DARKNESS, 1902

V. RAJESH, NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES IN JOSEPH CONRAD’S HEART OF

DARKNESS - AN ANALYTICAL STUDY

Web source: <https://www.ukessays.com/essays/english-literature/the-heart-of-darkness-

colonialism-english-literature-essay.php?vref=1>.

Web source: < https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Colonialism-and-the-Heart-of-Darkness-

F3PMKAZTC>