Theme Of Colonialism In Heart Of Darkness

Joseph Conrad’s towering work was Heart of Darkness. It has both the literal meaning as well as symbolic connotation. On the literal plane, the title of the novel points out to the dark continent of Africa, particularly darkness will talk about the Congo valley. Initially, the phrase The Dark Continent was used by the famous explorer and writer Henry Morton Stanley for Africa. He explored Africa and found it full of darkness and backwardness. And, hence due to this reason he used the phrase Heart of Darkness for Africa. This phrase means the inmost region of the territory which was still to be explored, and the inhabitants of which still led a primitive lives. But, Today Africa which was earlier known as the darkest continent has been fully explored and indicated on the geographical map. By Conrad’s time many parts of Africa has been explored but it was still known as the dark continent. The symbolic connotation of the title expresses that this darkness is of the body, the soul, the mind, and the sub-conscious. It is the moral and spiritual emptiness which pervades the centre of existence and is a mystery to mankind.

The Horror ! : Colonialism in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness

In Heart of Darkness, the author, Joseph Conrad explores the nature of colonialism. He