Racism in Heart of Darkness

Darkness and Racism in Heart of Darkness In Joseph Conrad's novel, 'Heart of Darkness', the term "darkness" can be related to a few different meanings. Conrad uses this term in many ways to characterize social, political and psychological affairs in order to help the reader get a feel of his attitudes towards things, such as colonialism, Africa, and civilization. The first impression of the word "darkness" in relations to this novel that I understood was …

…wilderness destroys man's pretensions and shows him the truth about himself. I think Conrad is trying to imply that every man has a heart of darkness that is usually drowned out by the light of civilization. However, when removed from civilized society, the raw evil of untamed lifestyles within his soul will be unleashed. And that I think, is the meaning of the "heart" of darkness, which is the journey of discovering one's true self.