The Meaning of Heart of Darkness in the Post-Colonial Climate Essay

The nub of Heart of Darkness in the Post-Colonial Climate Since its publication in 1899, Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness has rarely been disputed on the basis of its lit timery merits in fact, it was long seen as one of the great novels of the burgeoning modern era, a sort of bridge between the values and storytelling styles of the waning Victorian stay and those of the modern era (Gatten), and regarded a high-ranking space amidst the great literature of the century, if not the millennia (Mitchell 20). Conrads literary masterpiece manages references to other great literature, widely distributed themes which cut to the heart of philosophical questions of the innate goodness or perversive of man, and historical references such as the Belgium and Roman empires (Kuchta 160), among other accomplishments, and so has garnered a lexicon all its own in the annals of literary criticism, debate, and analysis. Much context given Heart centers around a pivotal concern of the era in which it was written that of what, in hindsight, were the early death rattles of the heyday of European colonialism, specifically in Africa. There is some debate amongst critics as to whether the novel, ultimately, is a morality tale about human greed, power, and evil (one could toss in deceit, cowardice, and a host of psychological considerations as well), or more a sociological commentary upon the morality of colonialism and imperialism from the point of view of a exceedingly disillusioned expatriate turned agent for the empire, turned anti-imperialist (the character of Marlow in the novel Conrad himself, in spite of his best efforts to disguise his input layabout characterization) (Films for Humanities and Sciences). The truth is almost certainly, ... ...erald. Teaching the Politics of Heart of Darkness. An groundwork to Literature. Terry, Joseph. New York, NY Longman, 2001. 1691-1692Kuchta, Todd. Envisioning Africa Racism and Imperialism in Conrads Heart of Darkness. Victorian Studies 44 (1 October, 2001) 159.Mitchell, Angus. New Light on the Heart of Darkness. History Today declination 1999 p20-28.Mwikisa , Peter. Conrads image of Africa Recovering African voices in Heart of Darkness. Mots Pluriels April 2000. Ngugi Wa subject. Writers in Politic A Re-engagement with Issues in Literature and Society. Revised and magnified ed. Nairobi, Oxford and Portsmouth James Currey,East African Educational Publishers and Heinemann, 1981. Zeger, Barry. Sometimes a Cigar is a tremendous Black Phallus. Spy Magazine July/August 1996 13.