“THE DREAMS OF MEN, THE SEED OF COMMONWEALTHS, THE GERMS OF EMPIRES”. THE IMPACT OF COLONIALISM IN JOSEPH CONRAD’S HEART OF DARKNESS

Abstract

Despite accusations of racism and of upholding colonialism, Heart of Darkness reveals the problematic nature of the imperial enterprise. The dichotomy between superior versus inferior, us versus them, self versus other, embedded in colonial discourse, becomes challenging when considering that the foray into the Dark Continent reveals more about the character of Europeans. The outward journey of exploration of the still partially unknown Africa is mirrored by an inward journey that reveals the degenerate nature of the European identity. The geographical journey is doubled by an anthropological one, towards our earliest origins, as well as a psychological one, towards the primitive self.