Ethnocentrism: With Whom Resides the Heart of Darkness?

Ethnocentrism 1

Ethnocentrism

With Whom Resides the Heart of Darkness?

Antonio Arevalo

James Campbell High School

Ethnocentrism 2

Abstract

This paper discusses Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad’s most acclaimed novel, and attempts to determine what the “heart of darkness” that Conrad speaks of is. I found, through my interpretations, that the “heart of darkness” is the ethnocentrism that Europeans maintained in the age of colonialism. More specifically, this ethnocentrism brought about sweeping ignorance and failed to erect a bridge between the Europeans and the newly discovered African natives in the book.

Ethnocentrism 3

Critically lauded as one of the foremost novels of the twentieth century, Heart of Darkness has been deemed an ironic tale that contains an impressive contemplation on the relationship between ‘civilization’ and ‘barbarity’.

Yet, as time passes and new perspectives are born, Heart of Darkness has come into scrutiny as of late. In his analysis of the novel, Peter Mwikisa, a professor from the University of Botswana, states that Robert Kimbough (as cited by Mwikisa, 2000) regards Chinua Achebe’s piece on the Joseph Conrad novel, a biting take on Conrad’s work, as a “new moment in Conrad criticism” (p.1). Achebe’s commentary (as cited by Mwikisa, 2000), in particular, argues, “Conrad’s image of Africa…nullifies…pretensions and compromises its artistic merit (p.1).

Which then begs the question: With new criticism and perspectives, what is the real “heart of darkness” that Conrad speaks of?

New articles suggest that perhaps, instead