Joseph Conrads Novel Heart of Darkness - Essay Example

Conrad’s story seems to unfold the dark moments that might be frightening to the readers, however, it does point out the benefit of civilization. For instance, the story accounts for the civilization that transformed the one-time dark country Britain (Conrad 36). The tradition brought to the Dark Continent by the white man did not sound impressive to the blacks, but it transformed the community to illuminate better practices, which they did not acknowledge in the first place. The modern methods of cultivation are good news to people that knew little about the existence of modern methods of increasing agricultural yields (Conrad 56). Another important instance that is impressive in the novel is the modern education system. The system enabled the continent to transform from its traditional systems, which produced little in terms of industrialization as well as globalization. Education was the only viable way through the Dark Continent could receive the new light.

Conrad observes that Africans embraced the old technology in doing their things. It did not appear to them that society could apply scientific ways of doing daily activities. The fruit of the introduction of science to the dark part of the world brought light that is shining in this region. The roads that the colonial masters developed not only helped the colonial masters to exert their autocratic rule in the dark world but also enabled the blacks to enjoy trading their goods. However, the novel gives a fiery tale of inhumanity projected to the innocent blacks in the name of civilization. The verbal abuse of the Africans by the colonial masters is disgusting. Arguably, better ways were applicable in introducing modernity (Conrad 125). The author described the killing of the Africans as if they did not have the right to live or to choose what is good for their lives or not. The white figures did not regard blacks as human beings moreover; they did not even fit to be pigs. Inhuman treatment that amount to death does not justify the cost of civilization.

The whites exploited the minerals from the dark world without acknowledging the efforts of the natives (Conrad 25). Instead of rewarding the natives for their kindness, the novel exposes the evils directed at natives, which included the human slave trade, ivory trade, and other illicit activities, which undermined the black man’s dignity. The brutal raids on innocent territories (Conrad 8) did not proclaim the so-called civilization that the white man boasts to have brought, but it shows how egocentrism can drive human beings to commit heinous crimes. In conclusion, while it is evident that the coming of white led to the civilization of the dark world, the atrocities committed in the dark world undermined the so-called civilization.