Heart Of Darkness

Heart of darkness presentation

From the 15th century to the 20th century, European countries were expanding their territories, process in history which is known as Colonialism. By the 19th century the world was already divided between the most important powers of Europe. America, Asia and Africa were all distributed among them. Only small nations that were those of a second order didn’t havecolonies. One of them was Belgium. King Leopold I tried, with no success, to add territories to his domain. His son Leopold II had the same ambition as his father and knew that to become a greater nation they should acquire colonies and money. He saw the opportunity in Africa, in an unexplored area, The Congo. The idea Leopold II used as an excuse to colonize, or better said, to own the Congo, wasthat he was going to take civilization and Christianity to the savages. Under that premise, one of the greatest atrocities, abuses and genocides from the 19th and 20th century took place. All of these for the very well valued ivory, which would bring power to Belgium. In this section, the horrors committed in reality will be compared with those described by Joseph Conrad. Human rights werecompletely violated; abuses to the natives, racism and working conditions that were deplorable; were some of the things that characterized this period as the Black Holocaust. The book tries, by developing a story, to show the world the atrocities committed during the reign of King Leopold II.
The Belgian General Leon Fievez was probably the best example of how rubber production could reach its topefficiency. Fievez was the General in charge of the Equator Province of the Congo, where some of the worst atrocities took place. It is reported that Fievez, as he was known by the people, killed roughly 1,300 Congolese, burned down 162 villages, cut down plantations and destroyed vegetable gardens, which led indirectly to countless additional deaths through malnutrition and starvation. According tothat, Fievez had the highest rubber and ivory production in all of the Congo. Leopold II, knowing about the methods applied to get the ivory, sent a letter to the Governor General that the Belgian state would pay commissions to stimulate zeal. The message to the Generals on the ground was clear: they could kill, burn and loot to coerce their slave labourers to increase the production. Being awareof this, he did nothing against it, not even try to treat the natives in a more fairly way or respecting at least the treaty of Berlin, in which Belgium committed itself to a fair treat for its new colony and he managed to trick the great powers at that time; he promised that everyone would have access to it, that there will be free trade, that this was something that was just beginning and thateveryone could participate. But he did the contrary; he encouraged the methods with commissions, with that, granted consent to the genocidal tactics.
“To tear treasures from the bowels of the land was their desire, with no more moral purpose at the back of it than there is to burglars breaking into a safe.” 
Leon Fievez can be compared directly for his conduct and characteristics to Kurtz inthe novella. Kurtz was a person that showed greatness in everything he did. He was respected and feared by everyone in the jungle because of the things and methods he did and applied to get as much ivory as he needed, he was the best one out there. Sometimes he was even compared and treated as a God that could do everything he wanted. He probably killed and caused as much atrocities as Fievez. Oneof the graphics that perfectly matches here and that link both Kurtz and Fievez, might be the scene were Kurtz have heads of savages hanging on the fence. The following quote was said by Marlow:-
“I am not disclosing any trade secrets. In fact, the manager said afterwards that Mr. Kurtz's methods had ruined the district. I have no opinion on that point, but I want you clearly to understand that...