With the different reactions, observations and sentiments of the characters a strong position is developed on the two civilizations, which could so be interpreted in different ways depending on societal and political conditions in different times and topographic points.
In this respect, the point of position from which the novel is narrated and the fact that it is from a western position, like our society, creates an atmosphere in which reading would change in different societal and political conditions. Marlow ‘s geographic expedition of the native civilization provides an interesting position for us, detecting what are unusual rites to us, yet to the indigens or to their posterities it may look rather normal. A western civilization is engaged by the geographic expedition of the peculiar events which unfold in the fresh whereas another civilization may non be as mesmerized, they would construe it all really otherwise and possibly non happen the same enlightenment.
As the Europeans were far more technologically advanced than any other civilization these foreign people were seen as inferior and crude, they are ‘simple people ‘ and resultantly they were held in really low respect by the colonials and frequently depicted and treated as barbarian, wild animate beings. However the derogative description of these people and of their civilization was seen as a merely and just description during these times. Any uncomplimentary history was non seen as being favoritism, the people took no notice of it.
Marlow ‘s steersman, a native, is possibly the most complemented of all the native people yet is still spoken of in an sick mode. A manner in which anyone today would be highly insulted and highly offended. Bing referred to as ‘an improved specimen ‘ would propose that there was so something about him which required changing, something which distinguished him from everyone else and had to be corrected in order for him to be accepted by the colonials. Yet he is still in a low place, while most of the colonials seem to hold really small intent in the physical journey along the river, the steersman and the other indigens on the crew, the woodcutters, partake in hard and arduous undertakings. Another native functioning the colonials, a guard, is referred to as ‘one of the reclaimed, the merchandise of the new forces at work ‘ proposing that he has been rescued or delivered from another civilization and trained in the right ways of the colonial civilization. Many people today would reason that non merely did these indigens non necessitate any ‘improving ‘ or ‘reclaiming ‘ , that they were by their ain right peers to any other individual, but besides that the colonials had no right to use the indigens to make their difficult work, to work as retainers. This is so exemplified by the hapless payment which they received for their services, “ three pieces of brass wire ” , as Marlow says, “ I do n’t see what good their excessive wage could be to them. ” The unlawful employment of black people as retainers by white people was besides a big issue in America and the indefensible favoritism of these people everlastingly remains an issue.
In current western society nevertheless people depicting the native Africans like these would be accused of being racialist and go capable to intense examination. The promotions in societal equality and anti-discrimination established in western civilization have created a society which frowns upon derogative mention to other civilizations, races or ethnicities as is normally used by the colonials in the Heart of Darkness. A pursuit for cosmopolitan tolerance has built a society which has learnt to accept and embrace people of all races and beginnings, it is what sets us apart which brings us together. Upon Marlow ‘s first brush with the native people he describes them as “ black chap ” and holding “ faces like grotesque masks ” , although people today would really probably be shocked and offended by this rough description at the clip in which the novel is set it would hold been absolutely acceptable. Many people of the clip would attest to it simply being the truth yet today those same people would be labelled racialists.
However, from an alternate position, in stating that it is truth it must besides be considered that these people were of a foreign race to which Europeans had antecedently had limited contact. Describing their faces as ‘grotesque masks ‘ may simply be due to a fright of what is different, what they most likely considered, unusual facial features of the foreign race is what provoked these remarks and non because they were in fact horrid. Today western society is far more multicultural. We normally associate ourselves with people of different races, ethnicities and civilizations, we have adapted ourselves to see the comprehensiveness of every civilization and go more tolerant of other people. The African people would non look unusual to us as they did to the colonials and we would hence non talk so imprudently about them. To us there is nil uneven or unusual about a black individual whereas for the colonials, of which many had most likely ne’er seen a black individual, they were a whole new species to be discovered.
Some of the different characters react otherwise to the hit of the two civilizations, they have a different position of the opposing ethnicity. Marlow frequently seems to feel for the indigens, he sees an unfair intervention, he says, “ these work forces could by no stretch of imaginativeness be called enemies. They were called felons, and the indignant jurisprudence. ” He tells of how they are treated like junior-grade felons, yet by their ain cognition they have committed no offense or any indecency. Marlow denounces the inhuman treatment which is enforced by the colonials and refers to them as “ red-eyed Satans, that swayed and drove men-men, I tell you. ” Meanwhile most of the colonials have a really different agencies of detecting the indigens and of covering with them. They are so the people who subject them to the inhuman treatments of which Marlow speaks, they besides seldom hesitate to open fire when they feel threatened.
Even when they ca n’t see who or what they are hiting at they continue to dispatch ammo into the nothingness which is the jungle. “ The pilgrims had opened with their Winchesters, and they were merely force outing lead into that shrub. ” Marlow besides mentions how the Gallic ship of the line would fire into the jungle from out at sea to an evident mark which could non be seen, “ In the empty enormousness of Earth, sky, and H2O, there she was, inexplicable, firing into a continent. ” The European would fire into this limbo without spying and placing a precise mark, yet they knew that there was person at that place. Person who was relatively harmless and seldom hostile but person whom they felt was a hinderance or a menace to their wellbeing, “ guaranting me seriously there was a cantonment of natives-he called them enemies! -hidden out of sight someplace. ”
Most of the Europeans treat the indigens with an indefensible fierceness, they punish them merely for being tribal and different. An attitude which Marlow seems to hate and glower upon. Had another member of the European society in the Congo been the chief storyteller so there would ‘ve most likely been a different position exposed to the reader, meanwhile people with a similar attitude to the colonials would see small or no mistake in their actions like Marlow does. They would construe Marlow ‘s observations in a different mode to others who are like-minded with Marlow.
Though the sentiment of the narrative may besides be due to the frame storyteller, he may in fact be the 1 who disagrees with the colonial intervention of the indigens and non Marlow. He once more is in a somewhat different societal and political place, Marlow tells the narrative to him at a ulterior clip to when it was acted out. He may construe Marlow ‘s narrative otherwise to the manner in which Marlow had intended due to his different societal and political penchants and the society in which he had grown up possibly being somewhat different to the one which Marlow did.
This manner in which societies have different political and societal constructions and how they change and develop over clip agencies that for all people their reading of a text such as Heart of Darkness can be really different. How different civilizations observe and notice different proceedings and rites, how they comprehend different euphemisms and descriptions, all depends on their societal and political background. What values and beliefs people have been constrained to make a different reading. Interpretations which are as plentiful and every bit diverse as the lands and ages which have passed, people in all different times and topographic points comprehend the novel in assorted ways. The different societies the characters have been exposed to, which the storyteller has been exposed to and which the reader exists in today offer a different position on the novel and many different waies towards its reading.
