Colonialism: Imperialism-The Infliction Upon The Congolese

Imperialism - The Infliction Upon the Congolese
The state of the Congo in the late 1800’s was intertwined with destruction and horror, compromising the integrity of humanity. The Belgian King Leopold II ruled over the new colony of central Africa from 1885 to 1908. The period of Leopold’s rule is known as a brutal time of exploitation, as millions of Congolese died. While most imperialist based discussions focus on the incentives of the Europeans, there is a lack of recognition of the Congolese and the imposition on their culture. The novel “Heart of Darkness,” written by Joseph Conrad in the 1890’s addresses these concerns. Conrad was one of the first writers to experience the desolation and destruction of the Congo, as he visited aboard a
King Leopold II mostly targeted the rubber that grew in the trees of the Congo. Each day he would instruct the natives of the Congo to collect a certain quota of rubber each day and those who did not follow the quota of rubber were punished, This punishment often included having their hand severed off. The men of the Congo who would refuse to go into the forest to collect rubber had their wives captured and held hostage at gunpoint until the men complied (Ngom, p.275). The slave trade thrived at this time and natives were often captured and taken from Africa, as well as putting thousands of Congolese into slavery in their own communities, all for the harvest of resources to provide wealth towards the already first-world countries (Colonialism and its Socio-politico and Economic Impact, p.311). This explains the fact that through perspective, it is simple to forget the fact that to produce the high-class, precious ivory of this time, natives were harmed and killed and left for nothing. As if forcing them into slave labor wasn’t enough, the Europeans influenced the natives through religious aspects as well. Missionaries brought the teachings of Christianity to the Congo, with the readings of colonial life. This new awareness of literature created adaptation of the new world and civilization, however forced the Congolese to deprive themselves of their original culture and beliefs (Bel, p.123). Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” is expressive of the conflict between recognizing true tragedy and common misfortune, however Conrad also writes toward the fixation of a racist, detached viewpoint. This influenced the contemporary Victorian idea of those “less than” becoming assimilated to their culture. The reference to “the primitive” throughout Marlow’s experience is psychological, however the original phrase deals with the anthropology of a tribe and their lack of an