I am needing a outline that goes along with my essay, Here is the essay:
Should Be Read in College History Courses: Heart of Darkness
Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness has had a significant literary impact. The book describes the atrocities of British imperialism and the havoc it caused. Imperialism surged across the globe in the late eighteenth century and exposed the horrors that an oppressive regime is capable of bringing about. The book uses the Europeans’ widespread practice of colonialism against African civilization to illustrate this brutality. Throughout the book, Joseph Conrad elaborates on these atrocities through the use of his protagonist Marlow, who recounts the horrifying events he saw.
Heart of Darkness presents a personal and distinctive viewpoint on imperialism, which is one reason why it should be read in a college history course. Heart of Darkness immerses the reader in Marlow’s direct experiences and observations, in contrast to conventional history works, which frequently provide a more objective and dispassionate picture of events. As Marlow struggles with his own moral questions and experiences the horrifying crimes inflicted by European colonizers, this enables a more nuanced and sophisticated perspective of imperialism. As scholar Chinua Achebe writes in his critique of the novel, “The real question is the dehumanization of Africa and Africans which is a fact of European literature” (Achebe 1977). By reading Heart of Darkness, students can gain a deeper understanding of the dehumanizing effects of imperialism and how it impacted both the colonizers and the colonized. The phrase “The horror! The horror!” used by the author (Conrad 2009) to describe the horrors . The reader is made aware in this quote of the unfathomable atrocities committed by the empire, including slavery and numerous deaths. History has often demonstrated the terrible consequences of corruption and abuse of authority. In order to educate students about the horrors that millions have endured, the effects of dictatorship, and the history of imperialism, Heart of Darkness should be included in the curriculum of college history courses.
For future generations, imperialism education is crucial. Many nations who believe they are better than others have engaged in imperialism for many years. This is further illustrated by Francis Ford Coppola’s film Apocalypse Now, which is based on Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and is set during the Vietnam War. For instance, there are numerous themes and allusions to the novel throughout the film. The report is persuasive and elegant even though it doesn’t offer any useful advice. But it ends with a scribbled addendum that reads, “Exterminate all the brutes!”(Heart). Marlow contends that Kurtz’s integration into native society, which led to his assuming a position of authority toward the indigenous and his participation in “unspeakable rites,” where sacrifices were performed in his name, is what led to the coda, the “exposition of [Kurtz’s] approach,” in this note. The idea of eliminating all brutes is present in both the novel and the film; when these two are compared, it illustrates the atrocities of imperialism’s past and present. Another excellent illustration of imperialism’s harmful effects is this comment from an online journal. “Marlow decides to tell a comforting lie, rather than reveal the truth about his descent into madness.” (Attridge) The remark continues by demonstrating how imperialism causes everything around it to become dark and why it is important to inform young people about the perils and evils of imperialism.
Heart of Darkness is a prime example of the atrocities associated with imperialism and a fantastic learning opportunity for many history classes at various colleges. For instance, the book provides many important insights on the topic of imperialism and how so many people were initially naive to it till Conrad personally demonstrated it in the novel. Conrad states,
“They were called criminals, and the outraged law, like the bursting shells,
had come to them, an insoluble mystery from the sea. All their meager
breasts painted together, the violently dilated nostrils quivered, the eyes
stared stonily uphill. They passed me within six inches, without a glance,
with that complete, deathlike indifference of unhappy savages. Behind this
raw matter one of the reclaimed, the product of the new forces at work,
strolled despondently, carrying a rifle by its middle.” (Conrad 2009)
Numerous incidents in world history can be connected to Conrad’s bleak picture of imperialism. It illustrates how the English attempted to civilize the Africans but instead imprisoned them to perform labor. They treated them unfairly because they perceived them as inferior savages, which infuriated Conrad. The author of this website states “Heart of Darkness shows the evils of imperialism and the destruction it causes in Africa. The lack of opportunity for wealth and social advancement pushed many Europeans to participate in it, like Marlow does in the story. But Marlow ends his journey a changed man”(Campo 2022). The book serves as a sobering illustration in any history class of the kind of heinous actions that are planned and carried out with imperialism’s approval. We can observe Joseph Conrad’s desire to educate the populace in an analysis of the book. He made it clear when he commented, “The title I am thinking about is Heart of Darkness but the tale is not gloomy,” after the publisher received the manuscript (Hawkins 1979). This comment further demonstrates that even Conrad did not think the book’s title was sinister enough to describe the monstrosities he had personally witnessed, which only serves to strengthen the argument that the novel should be taught in college-level history classes.
Because of man’s thirst for dominance and power, imperialism has been for ages and will continue to exist in some forms. The beginning of imperialism saw the dominance of one race of men over another, or, to put it another way, an unfair race conflict and the hegemony of other civilizations. In the early days of imperialism, Joseph Conrad informs the general populace of what is actually happening: European explorers go to Africa and subjugate and enslave several native African tribes. For example, “the whites are very afraid of the blacks, so they think they have to keep their power in chains. Marlow sees this and thinks ‘these men could by no stretch of imagination be called enemies’. The slaves are not treated as human beings, they are just tools to increase profits.” (Reinhard, and Fabrizio 2004)
In conclusion, any college history class can learn about the evils of imperialism by linking the concepts to Joseph Conrad’s masterpiece Heart of Darkness. It can be used to instruct pupils by providing a striking illustration of how imperialism obliterates everything admirable in people and culture. It demonstrates how utterly “black” those who are corrupted by it may turn into. Future generations should be discouraged from following imperialistic rule due to the unspeakable violence that mankind is capable of. Overall, Heart of Darkness can teach many people about dictatorship and imperialism and why it should be avoided, and it can offer priceless information