Controversy in Heart of Darkness and the Secret River

Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of conflicting opinion or point of view(“Dictionary.com”). The state of controversy or dispute happens predominantly throughout our society and can lead to divisions within in our society. The strong comparison between The Secret River by Kate Grenville and Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is the controversy between imperialism versus aboriginal tensions. The three strong comparisons of controversy within these novels between the imperialistic attitude of the English and natives are possessions, belief, and technology are the most predominant within these two novels. The controversy over possession is one of the most major controversy that leads to the division between the different societies.
The fight for possession happens throughout our society's history and can lead to destruction.The controversy over personal property versus no ones property happens predominantly throughout both these novels. In the novel Heart of Darkness, Conrad continuously shows the greedy nature of the imperialist English explorer’s on the land within the congo and the controversy that they causes with aboriginal people living there. The imperialist nature of the English causes decay within the indigenous scenery and the native’s society through their acts of violence, greed, and there narcissistic attitude. Their greed causes the controversy of ”who owns what?” between the aboriginal people. The English argue that the land is theirs due to the fact that no one has possession of the land, and the natives argue that the land should have no possessor .“No one, as far as I know, unless a species of wandering trader---pestilential fellow, snapping ivory from the native’s hands” (Conrad 37) This quote taken from Heart of Darkness, Conrad uses Marlow to explain what the English are doing to the land, the impact of their actions upon the land has on the natives and the controversy it is causing within this novel. This controversy between personal property and no one's property is a consistent comparison of imperialistic versus native tensions within these novels. Within the novel The Secret River, the comparison of controversy between the English and the aboriginals on the island of Australia. The controversy of personal property versus no one's property is a very prominent within this novel that shows for a strong comparison between The Secret River and Heart of Darkness. In The Secret River, the controversy over possession begins when the main character William Thornhill is exiled to Australia from England and is given land down a river there that the British have supposedly claimed. This land that was given to William turns out to be land that a aboriginals tribe is living on"There were no signs that the blacks felt that the place belonged to them. They had no fences that said this is mine. No house that said, this is our home. There were no fields or flocks that said, we have put the labour of our hands into this place." (Grenville 94).This quotation demonstrates the abyss separating the Western understanding of ownership from the aboriginal conception that they and the land are one. The British colonists saw no reason not to take land and resources that had not been claimed by either public or private ownership. This brings up controversy between the English and the aboriginals due to the fact that English believe that its their land because they were the first one’s to claim the land and the aboriginals who believe that no one owns this land. This controversy brings out rage between both side and causes a fight to happen between both sides over the land “Captain McCallum demonstrated on the map how the natives would be penned in against the end of gully, where they rose up like sheers..... They were to be pushed, individually into the gully to be rid of there nuisance” (Grenville 262). This controversy becomes so strong to the point where the English plan to exterminate all the natives. These two prominent examples of controversy over personal property versus no one’s property are strong comparisons within the novels Heart of Darkness and The Secret River. Controversy is caused between disagreement between two different biased opinions, opinion between being civilized person is better or everyone’s equal.
To be civilized is having a high state of culture and social development. In the both these novels the controversy over being civilized is better versus everyones equal happens predominantly throughout these novels. Within the novel Heart of Darkness, the strive for the English to be more civilized causes controversy with the native’s in the novel. This controversy is caused due to the fact that the natives believe everyone is equal, no one is better. Conrad uses the English as a cornerstone to the racism controversy and showing that they are better because they are white, and civilized. The natives are taken into slavery, beaten “Therefore he whacked the old nigger mercilessly” (Conrad 8), and work to the point of almost dieing“Six black men advanced in a file, toiling up the path. They walked erect and slow, balancing small baskets full of earth on their heads, and the clink kept time with their footsteps. Black rags were wound round their loins, and the short ends behind wagged to and fro like tails. I could see every rib, the joints of their limbs were like knots in a rope; each had an iron collar on his neck, and all were connected together with a chain whose bights swung between them, rhythmically clinking”(Conrad 16) due to the English’s racist imperialist attitude. This imperialistic nature of the English causes the controversy causes tensions with the natives from the congo within this novel. The comparison of controversy over being civilized is better versus everyone’s equal. The controversy happens between the English and the natives prominently within the novel The Secret River. The English think to imperialize the island of Australia and create the island into a massive jail where they send all their convicts too “ain’t nothing in this world just for the taking…a man got to pay a fair price for taking. A matter of give a little, take a little.”(Grenville 104). Grenville uses this quote to show the belief system of the English and how the two different befiel systems causes controversy between the native and English. This thought of the English imperializing the island causes controversy with what the natives believe in, the belief that being civilized is not always better.
Innovation is explained as a thought, behavior, or somthing that is new. Innovation can be big or small, brandnew or just slightly different, seemingly complex or simple. Innovation are often thought of in terms of technical achievement, to improve. The controversy between innovation and the thought to leave things as is is really prominent between both novels Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and The Secret River by Kate Grenville. In Heart of Darkness, the controversy between innovation and the thought to leave things as is is fought between English and the natives. The English strongly believe that the only way to create a better way of life is through innovation, to improve their standards of living. Through their thought to improving standards of life through innovation causes controversy with the natives in the congo due to their belief in a world that does not need improvement, and is self sustaining. This belief that the Natives have, cause the controversy between innovation and leave things as is with the English. The controversy between innovation versus leave things as is similar in the novel The Secret River. In The Secret River, the controversy between innovation and the thought of leaving things as is fought between the English and the natives."Sal made a place she called the yard, a patch of earth that she scraped and swept until it was smooth. Within its boundary she made something domestic: the fireplace, ringed with stones ... the water barrel filled from the rivulet, a slab of log laid on a couple of stones that did duty as a table. She cooked and washed and swept, and sat on a log to mend children's clothes or grind up the hominy, just like any other housewife. Beyond the yard she went only for a call of nature, and did not dally." (Grenville 149) This quote talks about how Sal's yard symbolizes the division between the wilderness and the savages and civilization through innovation of the property. The imperialist mindset of the English shows their belief through innovation and that its the only way to create a better life,and improve their standards of living.
Controversy between society leads to division between it. The controversy within society is similar between the novels explained throughout. The strong comparison between The Secret River by Kate Grenville and Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is the controversy between imperialism versus native tensions. The three strong comparisons of controversy within these are personal property versus no ones property, being civilized is better versus everyones equal, and innovation versus leave things as is. The controversy within these two different but similar novels cause division within the due to the different attitudes.

Work cited

Conrad, Joseph. Heart of darkness. Charlottesville, Va.: University of Virginia Library, 1996. Print.

Grenville, Kate. The secret river. New York: Canongate ;, 2005. Print.

"Controversy | Define Controversy at Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2013.