Write a 5 page essay analyzing Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.
The topic of your essay should be a comparison between British colonialism and our contemporary world
(the US or other parts of the world): what has remained the same and what has changed since the days
when it was considered OK to invade another country/culture and drain its resources? Do we still do this
today, or have we made enough progress that you think we’re not capable of doing that again? Give
evidence/support for the point that we are, or are not better than the British Empire at that time. Do we still
have racism? Do we relate better to foreign cultures? Are other cultures more imperial than the US? Is
Kurtz still possible today? (can you give an example of a Kurtz-ian figure somewhere in the world today?)
Think of Heart of Darkness as an argument about what it means to be part of a colonizing empire. Ask
yourself if Marlow endorses colonialism and if he approves or disapproves of what he finds Kurtz is
involved with in the “heart of darkness.” First, you need to show an understanding of what colonialism is,
and how it’s different from plain imperialism (with the example of the Roman Empire). What are the most
disturbing issues Marlow reveals about British colonialism, especially when he encounters Kurtz? For each
point you make, make sure you support it with textual evidence.
You can use, in your discussion, some of the symbols that appear in the book: the river, the drums, the
boat, the jungle, etc, and how they help us understand the impact that Africa and the Congo cultures had
on Marlow. Pay special attention to Marlow’s perception of an incomprehensible and dangerous, yet
strangely appealing culture. What, in our contemporary world, appears to us as dangerous but appealing?
Give specific examples from the text and analyze the quotes that you give, and find some comparisons to
our contemporary world and how we relate to other cultures.
Structure: You need an introduction that states what argument you will make about the book vs.
contemporary society. Then, write several body paragraphs that address different aspects of the book and
different points of comparison with our current society. Give quotes from the book and compare them to
specific examples of events in today’s world (such as wars, examples of negative/positive aspects of our
society, racial issues or progress made in relation to race, etc). In your conclusion, you should put things in
perspective and not bring up any new points.
Format: Use MLA style format, which includes proper MLA citation. Every quote has to be integrated in
sentences of your own, either flowing naturally with your text, or using some transition words to introduce
the quote (e.g. In Conrad’s narrative, “Marlow looked up from his work”). At the end of the paper, you’ll give
information for the source material (the book and any other source you may be using), under Works Cited.
MLA Format