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Example research essay topic: Oppression Of Imperialism In Heart Darkness - 1,679 words

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It was the evident duty of civilized nations to confer the benefits of civilization (Christianity, education, law and order, trade) on those benighted heathen with their barbaric ways - Lord Salisbury (Heart of Darkness) The oppression of imperialism has reached into personal lives and society for centuries. Two instances of how oppression through imperialism has affected a nation as well as the individuals involved are Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness and Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible. These stories both focus on a region of Africa long ruled by foreign oppressors and tyrannies. Both Conrad and Kingsolver examine how oppression, in conquering the local population, also adversely affects the ruling oppressors. The parallels of this effect can be seen by both parties adherence to the same rules, even though they were meant only for the oppressed; conversely, the differences are poignant; in the former the conqueror is adored and worshipped and in the latter the conqueror is feared. In Heart of Darkness it is clearly evident that the Congo becomes victim to British and Roman imperialism through being conquered economically, geographically, and spiritually.

In Conrad's novel the British sincerely believe that they are offering a better way to the Congolese. The Congo is also conquered economically in terms of its resources. Marlow on his way to his post and mentions: It had known the ships and the men The dreams of men, the seed of commonwealths, the germs of empires. (Conrad, 67). Marlow refers to the Congo and the many conquerors who have traveled through it in search of gold or fame.

Marlow examines the oppression of the Congo spiritually: "The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much. " (Conrad, 69). He is talks about his aunts beliefs and says, She talked about 'weaning those ignorant millions from their horrid ways, ' These examples all show that the Congolese are conquered spiritually because they are taken advantage of due to their physical appearance and are forced to transform from their innately savage ways to civilized ways. This is spiritually degrading because the transformation forces them to believe that their ways of living are wrong. The geographic conquering of the Congo is probably the most obvious form of oppression imposed on the country.

When Marlow reminisces about the continents history he is aware of its lengthy and complicated past: "I was thinking of very old times, when the Romans first came here, nineteen hundred years ago -- (Conrad, 71). This clearly portrays the simple fact that white imperialists have been coming to the Congo to conquer for centuries and display ownership over it. Therefore, in Heart of Darkness it is apparent that the British and the Romans have been imposing on the Congo for many ages attempting these civilizations however, not always for its benefit. Similarly, in The Poisonwood Bible the Belgians perpetuate the oppression in the next century. This colonization is depicted a number of times throughout the novel especially when Leah is recalling a speech made by Patrice Lumumba saying, We have suffered the colonial oppression in body and heart (Kingsolver, 184).

Leah recognizes the adverse affects of this colonization when she questions, Why must some of us deliberate between brands of toothpaste, while others deliberate between damp dirt and bone dust to quiet the fire of an empty stomach lining? (Kingsolver, 441). The Belgians force the Congo to suffer economically in order to further seek profit for their already prosperous country. The Chief of the village the family lives uses the imperialists influence against them when he says, Tata Price, white men have brought us many programs to improve our thinking, he said The program of Jesus and the program of elections. You say these things are good. You cannot say now that they are not good (Kingsolver, 331). Orleanna, Nathans wife, dryly states what the imperialists have done when she says, We aimed for no more than to have dominion over every creature that moved upon the earth.

And so it came to pass that we stepped down there on a place we believed unformed, where only darkness moved on the face of the waters (Kingsolver, 10). Consequently, the imperialists consume the Congo of its resources and then try to save it by changing everything about it: geography, religion, language and politics. However, their ascendancy has a detrimental effect on themselves. The oppression inflicted on the Congo propagates itself on a more personal level with each of the characters individual lives. In Heart of Darkness Kurtz oppresses his colleagues much like the British oppress the Congo. Kurtz originally came to the Congo with good intentions.

He thought that the ivory station would bring civility and offer a better way to the natives. Marlow first hears about Kurtz from the accountant who says Kurtz is a remarkable person (Conrad, 68) a prodigy (Conrad, 69) who will someday be a somebody (Conrad, 74). Kurtz wins control of men through fear and adoration. His colleagues adore him for his accomplishments and everything that he represents however, fear him for the control he has over both the natives and themselves. Similarly, in The Poisonwood Bible Nathan comes to the Congo in hopes of saving as many souls as he can (Kingsolver, 301). However, unlike Kurtz he is unable to gain any sort of respect or adoration from the villagers or his family.

Nathans family fears him because hath no fury like a Baptist preacher (Kingsolver, v 8) and they Feared him, loved him, served him... (Kingsolver, 192). The villagers fear him as well because they think that he is trying to hurt them: Yet Father always says, if the Lord cant inspire you to leave off sinning any other way then it was his job to scare the dickens out of you (Kingsolver, 328). The villagers and his family expect the worst of Nathan: Mother and I watched him expecting the dreaded atomic bomb (Kingsolver, 133). He gains power through intimidation and fear, but not the same fear that Kurtz instil's in his people. The victims of Nathans oppression fear him because of his persistent stubbornness to try and achieve greatness as opposed to the actual greatness that Kurtz is able to achieve through his ivory trade.

In a way Kurtz, in Heart of Darkness, gains a certain degree of power or trance over anyone who crosses his path directly or indirectly: You show them you have something really profitable and then there would be no limits to the recognition of your ability (Conrad, 135). Kurtz intimidates the manager because he feels that Kurtz poses a threat to his position. While other characters such as the brick maker and the accountant are too stupefied by his former accomplishments to realize how weak and mad he has become. The way Kurtz has become is a product of his innate moral dilemma in conjunction with his surroundings. The moral weakness Kurtz has is the fact that he travels to the Congo sincerely believing that his way is the better way.

Upon his stay in the Congo he comes to the realization that the civilized way is not necessarily the better way and thus, allows himself to submit to humankind's innately savage ways. Kurtz allows the power he has over the natives to get the better of him pushing him to the brink of insanity and beyond. The power and mysticism that Kurtz has gained over the natives and his colleagues come at a great price though. This consequence is especially shown when Marlow says, Everything belonged to him- but that was the trifle.

The thing was to know how many powers of darkness had claimed him for their own (Conrad, 108). Kurtz has ownership of everything, the natives and his colleagues. The consequence is that ironically he loses power over himself and allows his weaknesses to conquer him mentally and physically. A parallel situation occurs with Nathan in The Poisonwood Bible. Nathan gains control over his daughters and his wife by taking away their identity, their past and their childhood (in the case of the daughters). He forces his family to go to an unknown place and give up everything that they have accomplished for his higher cause.

Orleanna is only able to bring the bare minimum for my children. (Kingsolver, 14). Nathan even loses one of his daughters to a snake yet he still continued to try and save souls when he could not even save the souls of his own family. Orleanna describes herself as the conquerer's wife (Kingsolver, 10). Nathans relationship with his missionaries can be compared to the family's situation where his control is so great that his wife and daughters are acutely aware of their status as underlings: Whether its wife or nation they occupy, their mistake is the same: they stand still and their stakes move beneath them (Kingsolver, 384). This quotation means that both the oppressors remained very stubborn in believing they were showing the light to a better way and never even realized what was going on around them.

In both situations the outcome is the same as stated by Orleanna, Call it oppression, complicity, stupefaction, call it what youd like, it doesnt matter. Africa swallowed the conquerors music and sang a new song of her own (Kingsolver, 385). Nathans weakness is similar to Kurtz's. Both of these dominions came to the Congo bearing good intentions, however their reasons for these intentions are not sincere enough for them to succeed.

Therefore, Nathan never fully understands why he cannot save the Congolese and thus, goes insane and loses everything but never gives up. He tries until his death to save others but not himself. Subsequently, In Heart of Darkness and The Poisonwood Bible the conquerors, by oppressing others, in turn conquer themselves physically and spiritually because of the weaknesses that lie within themselves. In both of these novel mans inhumanity to man causes man to be inhumane.


Free research essays on topics related to: kurtz, congo, good intentions, heart of darkness, poisonwood bible

Research essay sample on Oppression Of Imperialism In Heart Darkness

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