Varieties of Imperialism in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness and Nostromo

master's thesis

• Author: Filip Vrlec
• Mentor: Borislav Knežević (mentor)
• Committee member: Martina Domines Veliki (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Stipe Grgas (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; (Department of English language and literature); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2021-03-15, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: HUMANISTIC SCIENCES; Philology; Anglistics

Abstract

The second half of the 19th century saw the height of European imperialism in Africa in the sense of direct control over the continent. Concurrently, the increasingly global character of capitalism led to new forms of domination in the form of economic imperialism in territories not directly under European control, in great part made possible through the legacy of previous colonial rule in such territories and technological advancements of the era. These two phenomena are represented by two works of Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness and Nostromo, with remarkable historical accuracy. This paper aims to define these two types of ‘imperialisms’ and then to deconstruct them in order to demonstrate how each is manifested in the two works. In this sense, Heart of Darkness depicts the methodology of European administration in Africa and means of direct control over the continent, specifically the Congo State. Nostromo, on the other hand, documents the effects of foreign capital, namely English and American, in a former Spanish colony in South America and how this capital turns into an insidious method of control of an otherwise politically independent territory. In surveying the landscape of the two narratives, specific attention is given to the author’s own experiences as a sailor and his personal attitudes as the two permeate both works and form a significant part of Conrad’s writing. As such, Conrad’s work ethic and philosophy regarding seamanship stand in opposition to the ever-changing political and technological landscape of his era and its progressively commercial character, leading to loss of human individuality and making it an important fixture in the overarching theme of imperialism, as demonstrated by the two novels. Finally, the paper attempts to briefly outline Conrad’s own views regarding imperialism and its place in history in the light of his often ambiguous and perplexing literary style.

• Keywords: Joseph Conrad; Nostromo; Heart of Darkness; imperialism; Modernism
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:131:281971
• Study programme: Title: English Language and Literature (double major); specializations in: Linguistics, Literature and Culture, Translation, TEFL; Course: Literature and Culture; Study programme type: university; Study level: graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra engleskog jezika i književnosti (magistar/magistra engleskog jezika i književnosti)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Access restricted to students and staff of home institution
• Created on: 2021-03-22 12:42:20