Societal Stereotypes in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness

Joseph Conrad contrasts two seemingly opposite worlds in Heart of Darkness as he describes the Company's chief accountant against the backdrop of the African wilderness. There is a strong temptation to categorize both societies into their stereotypical roles, with that of the civilized west triumphing as inevitably superior. Superficially, Conrad praises the accountant's ability to maintain some semblance of culture amongst the savagery. Yet there is a subtle satirical nature to this passage, as he hyperbolizes the utter respect and strength of character exemplified by this man's appearance. Although his mockery blurs the ideas of superiority, it is not between different races, but rather, between nature and humanity. It is clear that Conrad portrays the natives as a part of the natural world. As he grapples with the traditional conflict between man and nature, it is important to note his personal prejudices without glorifying these beliefs as the main themes.

The wilderness is described with a strange tenderness, in opposition to the mocking tone used to portray the accountant. Despite his general dislike of nature, the man still acknowledges the necessity for a "moment" of "fresh air" (18). Conrad uses this cliché phrase as a metaphor for the entirety of the continent, emphasizing the fact that the land is yet undiscovered and new. He goes further in saying that the "expression sound[s] wonderfully odd," creating an almost oxymoronic phrase that outlines the very dichotomy of the African wilderness. Although animalistic in many senses, he seems to almost revere this primitive closeness to nature, and a more inherent state of being. Instead of referring to the land as immoral, he uses the word "demoralization," implying an ongoing act during this time of early colonization (18). While natives are judged in terms of morality, Conrad measures the accountant according to due "respect" and "character" (18). In a more natural existence, such social institutions are too complex. It is important to note that Marlow claims that the accountant is only important in correlation to Mr. Kurtz, yet continues to describe him for several paragraphs. In this seemingly superfluous sentence, Conrad implies that while he is lacking in any true human nobility, he embodies the superficial ideas of civility. The sentences become choppy, including one word phrases and lists. Instead of a natural flow, there is a preciseness that mirrors the crisp appearance of the accountant with "his collars, his vast cuffs, his brushed hair" (18). His use of repetition hyperbolizes praise, as Marlow "respect[s] the fellow. Yes. [He] respect[s]" (18). The accountant's "achievements of character" are a façade, based on his outer "appearance," and similar to the lifeless "hairdresser's dummy" to which he is compared (18). The native people are inevitably inferior in a modern sense of societal institutions and ideals, yet Conrad clearly believes in the moral superiority of nature, with which he aligns the Africans.

The debate as to Conrad's personal prejudices is superfluous in creating main themes and motifs throughout the text. Although his belittling views of African natives may indeed align him with racists, promoting such an idea is not the novel's purpose. Rather, it becomes important to note this subtle prejudice because it impacts the more general idea of nature versus humanity. Conrad does not condemn all of the savages, but rather exemplifies them as simple forms of nature, exempt from the manmade rules of civility. This in turn creates the paradoxical situation in which the Africans are above the whites as nature triumphs over a corrupt mankind and yet, perpetually beneath them as they cannot even be considered human.