How is Heart of Darkness an anti - colonial novel?

Answer 1

Heart of Darkness is an anti - colonial novel as it shows the brutal and dehumanizing effects of colonialism. The European colonizers in the story are depicted as greedy and power - hungry. They exploit the African natives for their own gain, treating them like mere tools. For example, the way the ivory trade is carried out at the cost of the native people's lives and well - being.

Answer 2

Well, Heart of Darkness is anti - colonial because it doesn't shy away from showing the dark side of colonial expansion. The Africans in the novel are often voiceless victims of the colonizers' actions. The colonizers are shown to be lost in their own sense of superiority and self - righteousness. Their actions are not about improving the lives of the natives but about fulfilling their own desires for wealth and dominance. Conrad uses vivid descriptions to make the reader aware of the atrocities committed in the name of colonialism, thus making it an anti - colonial novel.

Answer 3

In Heart of Darkness, Conrad portrays colonialism as a corrupt and immoral system. The so - called 'civilizing mission' of the colonizers is exposed as a false pretext. The novel reveals how the colonizers' presence in Africa disrupts the native cultures and societies. Marlow, the protagonist, witnesses the chaos and destruction brought by colonial rule, which clearly shows an anti - colonial stance.