A Historical Perspective of Wilderness in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Some of the most grim events in history involve man assuming ownership over things that cannot be owned. During the “Scramble for Africa” that took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the colonization of the Congo Free State saw European powers gain control of the people as well as the land. In his novel Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad utilizes the motif of wilderness with the purpose of representing the conflict between man and nature, in turn demonstrating the complex clash between the Europeans and the people of the Congo as a result of British imperialism. The concept of “wilderness” that is known and understood in the present is strikingly different from
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Although in present times silence is regarded as an escape, or an opportunity for quiet reflection and growth, the urgency of urban expansion in the late 1800s makes it likely that the absence of noise was seen as unsettling and uncivilized. Conrad prompts contemplation on this theme through Marlow’s observations during his discussion with the brick-maker, when he observes his surroundings in the night time and “wonder[s] whether the stillness on the face of the immensity looking at us two were meant as an appeal or as a menace.” (41) Early on in the text, Marlow hasn’t yet fully formulated his opinion of “the immensity,” or the wild unknown of the continent, and his uncertainty creates a sense of tension associated with this strange “stillness.” As he experiences more of the Congo, Marlow decides that “this stillness of life did not in the least resemble a peace. It was the stillness of an implacable force brooding over an inscrutable intention. It looked at you with a vengeful aspect.” (55) Here, the wilderness is personified as having a secret, “inscrutable intention,” which is represented by the “stillness of life” that Marlow continually focuses upon. With the author’s inclusion of how “[the wilderness] looked at you with a vengeful aspect,” the “you” is referring to the Europeans, who are intruding into a world that is not their own. The negative …show more content…
The integration of man and nature in a way that both unite them and sets them in opposition to each other laid a foundation for future literary works to make similar stylistic choices, in which “nature and culture are no longer presented as oppositional notions.” Therefore, Conrad’s use of the motif of wilderness as a symbol of the conflict caused by British imperialism is historically significant both within and outside the context of the
Although in present times silence is regarded as an escape, or an opportunity for quiet reflection and growth, the urgency of urban expansion in the late 1800s makes it likely that the absence of noise was seen as unsettling and uncivilized. Conrad prompts contemplation on this theme through Marlow’s observations during his discussion with the brick-maker, when he observes his surroundings in the night time and “wonder[s] whether the stillness on the face of the immensity looking at us two were meant as an appeal or as a menace.” (41) Early on in the text, Marlow hasn’t yet fully formulated his opinion of “the immensity,” or the wild unknown of the continent, and his uncertainty creates a sense of tension associated with this strange “stillness.” As he experiences more of the Congo, Marlow decides that “this stillness of life did not in the least resemble a peace. It was the stillness of an implacable force brooding over an inscrutable intention. It looked at you with a vengeful aspect.” (55) Here, the wilderness is personified as having a secret, “inscrutable intention,” which is represented by the “stillness of life” that Marlow continually focuses upon. With the author’s inclusion of how “[the wilderness] looked at you with a vengeful aspect,” the “you” is referring to the Europeans, who are intruding into a world that is not their own. The negative …show more content…
The integration of man and nature in a way that both unite them and sets them in opposition to each other laid a foundation for future literary works to make similar stylistic choices, in which “nature and culture are no longer presented as oppositional notions.” Therefore, Conrad’s use of the motif of wilderness as a symbol of the conflict caused by British imperialism is historically significant both within and outside the context of the