Imperialism Good or Evil - 1677 Words

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, and Heart of Darkness by Joesph Conrad both analyze the imperialism of Africa in the late 1890’s to mid-1900’s. Things Fall Apart focuses on the native’s perspective, painting a negative picture of the Europeans. Heart of Darkness is from the European’s point of view, and depicts the natives as â€Å"savages†. Chinua Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart as a reaction novel to Heart of Darkness, as he felt that Conrad gave an inaccurate account of the African culture. Both novels recognize the main characters personal evils as well as their adversary’s. Robert Louis Stevenson said, â€Å"In all of us, two natures are at war - the good and the evil. All our lives the fight goes on between them, and one of them must†¦show more content†¦Marlow is not a native, savage, or even a man driven by greed and yet he still contains evil inside him. The European imperialists are seen to be the heroic, â€Å"good gu ys† throughout the novel and Marlow’s moral ambiguity challenges that belief. Even though Marlow is seen to be a man not fooled by European prejudice, he still contains evil inside of him and that effects the depiction of the natives, of the Europeans, and of the overall darkness in human nature that everyone, no matter what race you are, contains. Kurtz is known for his success in Africa and the amount of ivory he has produced there, but Kurtz has become obsessed with it and has been overtaken by the darkness of Africa essentially becoming savage himself. When Kurtz first came to Africa, he wanted to civilize the natives and imperialize them using peace. He said, â€Å"It gave me the notion of an exotic Immensity ruled by an august Benevolence† (Conrad 46). In this quote Kurtz explains the key to success was to â€Å"come in like gods† and rule with benevolence. Kurtz had pure intentions, no violence or death just imperialism. Later on in the pamphlet however, Kurtz changes his view on how to deal with the natives. He wrote, â€Å"†¦Exterminate all the brutes,† (Conrad 46). This shows the reader the evil and darkness inside of Kurtz, and makes us question his morality. Kurtz becomes obsessed with ivory, and is the leader of a native tribe that he uses to attack and ransack other native tribes. He isSh ow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1233 Words   |  5 Pagesofficer. Based on his experiences, he has seen the real wickedness of imperialism. In â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†, Orwell displays the evil of imperialism as harsh, belligerent, and provoking. First, Orwell encounters the harshness of imperialism. Furthermore, Orwell says, â€Å" the sneering yellow faces of young men†¦ the insults hooted me when I was at a safe distance.†(323) The evil of imperialism has made the Burmese furious. Imperialism has resulted into the in the Burmese to lash out. Because they areRead MoreShooting An Elephant By George Orwell1246 Words   |  5 Pagesand evil of colonialism; George Orwell wrote the story about shooting an elephant. Shooting an Elephant is a story which describes how the British occupiers were badly treating the Burmese by killing and terrorized their properties and cultures. For example, people were wounded and injured while entering the shopping ponds, imprisoning for long terms and being beaten severely by bamboos with the fabrications charges. George Orwell was so angry and became openly against the British imperialism overRead MoreAnalysis Of Joseph Conrad s Heart Of Darkness1555 Words   |  7 Pagescauses a l ack of good, in contrast to just an unequivocal evil, that consequently allows the ability for creating evil to exist (Burnham, n.d.), arguing that evil and sin are only â€Å"negations of positive reality,† a principle that corresponds heavily with Leibniz’s belief in â€Å"theodicy,† an attempt to explain and reconcile evil in the world with its creator, a supposedly perfect God (Youpa 2016). The void due to a lack of perfection, in effect, permits an intrinsic capacity for sin and evil within everyRead MoreThe Journey In â€Å"Heart Of Darkness† Spans Not Only The Capricious1222 Words   |  5 Pagesfinally descending into the abyss of hell abiding in each of us. Conrad’s use of wordplay and symbolism shows the reader that this journey is something much deeper. In â€Å"Heart of Darkness†, Joseph Conrad conveys the themes of darkness, duality, and imperialism through Marlow’s tale of his experience along the Congo River. To begin with, darkness plays a major role in this story being that it is relevant enough to be a part of the title. Conrad was very clever to give darkness such a subtle meaning withinRead MoreCorruption Of Imperialism In Joseph Conrads Heart Of Darkness1473 Words   |  6 PagesIt can be said that we as humans have the potential for both good and evil, and that perhaps one trait will prevail over the other when placed in a certain situation. When a person is placed in an unfamiliar and unforgiving setting, they may be introduced to corruption that is present in this situation, possibly causing them to act in a corrupt manner. However, some individuals may maintain their integrity in corrupt situations, and therefore not become corrupt themselves. Heart of Darkness by JosephRead MoreEssay on The Finale of Evil in Orwells Shooting an Elephant1238 Words   |  5 Pageslooking like a fool† (14) in front of the crowd. At first glance, one would think that it makes sense for him to kill the elephant to save his face, but that was not the case. He effectively uses this incident to demonstrate the â€Å"real nature of imperialism† (3), where the elephant represents the British Empire. Orwell is ambivalent about the Burmese people. At the beginning of his essay, he recalls how Burmans treated him when he was still working in Burma as a police officer. He is â€Å"hated by largeRead MoreHeart Of Darkness By Joseph Conrad1436 Words   |  6 PagesDarkness, the main themes that are discussed and brought to light throughout the entire story are that of the hypocrisy behind the idea of Imperialism, the madness that surrounds the absurdity of evil, and the idea of the last encounter that Marlow has with Kurtz’s intended and the irony that surrounds the circumstance. First, the issue at hand with Imperialism and the insincerity that surrounds it is baffling, as Marlow is traveling in and out of the many stations that neighbor the river he is onRead MoreThe Elephant as a Symbol for Imperialism in Shooting an Elephant†1188 Words   |  5 PagesAt first glance, one would think that it makes sense for him to kill the elephant to save his face, but that was not the case. He effectively uses this incident to demonstrate the â€Å"real nature of imperialism† (3), whereas the elephant represents the British Empire. Orwell was ambivalent about imperialism. At the beginning of his essay, he recalls how Burmese people treated him when he was still working in Burma as a police officer. He was â€Å"hated by [a] large numbers of people† (1). Not only he wasRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Shooting An Elephant 1232 Words   |  5 Pagesaddition, Orwell is able to use his traumatic experience to address the evils of a much greater villain, imperialism. Orwell uses his confession of culpability to demonstrate the evils of imperialism by using the lesson he learned in slaying the elephant and attempting to educate the world the same lesson in an attempt to benefit mankind. By taking a troubling incident that occurred in his life and using it to combat imperialism, Orwell eases much of his guilt for his prior misdeeds. Orwell takesRead MoreThe Heart Of Darkness By Joseph Conrad1293 Words   |  6 Pagesas an adolescent. In the Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad exposes the psychological change that Marlow goes through by coming to Congo for the development of his experience and self through his confrontation with Kurtz, encounter with European imperialism, as well as his newfound awareness of the unknown and unfamiliar.Marlow’s confrontation with Kurtz was the beginning of his psychological development and awareness of himself in Heart of Darkness. The book starts off with Marlow desiring to travel