Heart Of Darkness Imperialism

Written in 1899, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad illustrates a narrator’s experience within the Congo. While depicting “the horror”(Conrad 64) he witnesses, Marlow describes the African Mistress whose presence resonates with the narrator. In his book, Course in General Linguistics, Saussure argues that language is not used just to name things, rather it is a complex system that shapes our understanding of the world. Within language, there are three elements: the signifier, the signified and the sign. Analyzing Marlow’s narration through Saussure’s Linguistic theory, we can see that Marlow fails to see the African Mistress as being fully human. His narration becomes a tool to uphold sexist and racist views on African women. Those who believe …show more content…
This binary opposition between light and dark, transfers to the racism within Imperialistic ideology. According to Saussure, “differences carry signification”(118). But Saussure’s theory focuses on the difference of words, letters and materialistic signs. Whereas Imperialistic discourse chooses to categorize humans through racial difference. Consequently, Europeans believed they held a higher significance than other races. Marlow’s narration reduces African natives to “dark human shapes”(Conrad 55), which take away any human validation because they are seen as having human form, yet lacking human substance. While the scene describes Marlow’s voyage through the Congo river, animalistic imagery is used to connect African natives to their Imperialistic status as subhumans. As these shapes are illustrated as “flitting indistinctly”(Conrad 55), they resemble monkeys moving through trees. This connection between Africans and apes signifies that Africans lack the emotional and intellectual development of Europeans. As a result, Marlow’s narration adds to the discourse that Africans are not fully developed human beings and are more animal-like than human. Furthermore, the natives wearing “spotted skins”(Conrad 55), signify a wild and dangerous leopard. The African, like a leopard, is then seen as a violent threat against Europeans. In addition to the animalistic descriptions, the …show more content…
Marlow ends by personifying Africa, “the colossal body of the fecund and mysterious life”(Conrad 56), and has it identify with the African Mistress, “as though it had been looking at the image of its own tenebrous and passionate soul”(Conrad 56). Through the portrayal of the Mistress seemed to be challenging stereotypes about African natives, these liberal ideas parish once the African Mistress is seen as a symbol of the African wild. The Mistress mirrors Africa, as African mirrors The Mistress; henceforth, her identify is turned into an object that is to be conquered by European men. Marlow’s final description of the Mistress walking back into the darkness, “passed into the bushes”(Conard 56), illustrates how she does not have power within an Imperialistic society, because her identity was produced through Marlow’s interpretation. Since Marlow is a product of Imperialism, his narration produces Imperialistic discourse that limits his own perspection. Saussure would describe Imperialism's impact on Marlow as a “means of expression used in a society is based on in principle, on collective behavior”(68). As a result, Marlow is only able to illustrate The Mistress as a striking character because of her difference within European culture. Furthermore, Marlow’s narration never names or gives The Mistress a voice. The small scene of The Mistress’s protest is silenced, once her oppressor speaks

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