The type of colonialism described in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the aspects of colonization in the novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. Colonialism still remains a large issue today due to its ramifications on colonized lands and Heart of Darkness is to this day seen as a vivid account of colonization from over a century ago. The introduction shows what will be analysed and what literature is used to support said analysis. The first chapter is a literature overview, showcasing overall the literature that has been written on the Heart of Darkness beforehand along with literature that specifically focuses on the colonization aspect of it. The second core chapter starts off with an analysis of the location and colony that inspired the novel to find out the likeliest colony where the story of Heart of Darkness takes place and what kind of colony it is. After this, it moves onto discussing Marlow's experiences of the colony and how Conrad portrayed it for his audience.