Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is undoubtedly a controversial piece of literature. There are some who believe that, since it deals with racial themes, this book is therefore racist in nature and unfit for school curriculum. This could not be further from the truth. Although the book is rife with violence and discrimination against the African people, Conrad in no way condones it; rather, he condemns this behavior. Furthermore, he portrays the tribesman in a raw but courteous way, and shows the Europeans to be greedy and conniving.
Given the various criticisms and allegations lodged against this book, I still believe that the cultural observations made by Conrad have nothing to do with racism and everything to do with ethnocentrism. Every society has a way of comparing other civilizations against their own standards, and judging them accordingly, and Conrad uses Marlow to make that very point. When he compares the tribesman to the Europeans, he does just that: he stacks the men of the jungle against the men of the city. Skin color is really quite irrelevant; the men he encountered could have been black, green, orange or purple, but if they behaved just the same, he would have characterized them in the same way.
In fact, Marlow describes the Africans quite favorably, and gradually comes to realize that he admires them far more than the Europeans. From the second he arrives in Africa, Marlow expresses scathing criticism for the White Man's purpose, bitterly mocking their so called “philanthropic purpose.” He makes it very clear that he disagrees with the heavy-handed tactics of the Pilgrims, and sees no value in this senseless punishment of the native people. Any time that a tribesman is beaten for something, Marlow take his side over his captors, on the principle that this treatment is unnecessary and illogical. In addition, he goes into great detail about the incredible civility of the cannibals, and gives a lengthy account of their considerable self restraint. This observation is amplified by marked contrast with the Europeans, who could desperately use some self discipline- their insatiable thirst for wealth brings them great suffering, and leads to the death of many a trader.
The final consideration to take into account is Conrad's portrayal of the White Man. From early on he paints a portrait of confusion and absurdity, and does not stray from it throughout the novel. From shooting bombs at nothing to digging holes for no purpose at all, shipments of trinkets and rations of wires, these men are plagued by hopeless inadequacy. He describes the Pilgrims as covetous and shallow, caring about nothing more than their own riches with no regard to anyone other than themselves. He ultimately portrays the White Men as the truly uncivilized, and it is obvious that Marlow-the protagonist with whom the reader is to identify- looks down on them.
Joseph Conrad is not a racist; if anything, he uses this novel to decry the failings of the Europeans. Conrad uses Marlow as the vessel for his viewpoints, as he makes note of the differences between two groups. The points he makes are cultural rather than racial, as they compare city folk to jungle folk. He describes the Africans as noble savages, possessing none of the sensitivities of modern society, but lacking its terrible vices as well. Conversely, he portrays the Europeans as vicious, brutal plunderers with decent table manners. All in all, Conrad is an advocate of the African cause, and not racist in the least. To be true, he was really much more a champion of racial activism.
