Empire of Darkness

Empire of Darkness

“Imperialism” is a difficult word to define. For some, imperialism was above all an economic enterprise, based on establishing control over raw materials and markets for finished goods. For others, it was a mission to bring civilization and Christianity to “savage” peoples, ruling over them until they were regarded as ready for independence. At the turn of the century, economic and noneconomic motives for imperialism were virtually the same, practically indistinguishable. The so-called “good” motives were lost. Stating the importance of one would just be an excuse for the other. In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, imperialism reflects actual history of colonialism in the Belgian Congo. The nameless narrator of the story expresses the typical belief that imperialism is a glorious and worthy enterprise. At the time Heart of Darkness was written, the British Empire was at its peak, and Britain controlled colonies all over the planet. Indeed, in Conrad’s time, “empire” was one of the central values of the British. It was the fundamental term through which Britain defined its identity and sense of purpose.