...Williams wrote this letter to the King of Belgium. He was born to a free black family in Pennsylvania in 1849 (O’Connor 1). He served in the Union army, served as a pastor, studied law, and was a part of the Ohio legislature, to name a few things he did in his life (Andrea 309). To say the least, Williams was a man of many talents with an incredible background and was recognized by many important people. Williams’ interest of the Congo started when Chester B. Arthur introduced him to Henry Sanford, who was a friend of King Leopold of Belgium (Andrea 309). Williams traveled to the Congo, which was under the hold of Leopold, for six months while he was traveling Africa. Historical Context: This letter was written in 1890, after Williams’ six month trip to Africa. During this time period, much of Africa was being imperialized by European countries in order to gain land for crops and materials. The Belgians, under the rule of King Leopold II, occupied the Congo Basin in central Africa (Bulliet 679). The Berlin Conference in 1884 was a gathering of leaders from different European countries in order...
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...Heart of Darkness Essay Light and dark imagery is one element most commonly used in literature, and has held specific symbolic meanings for hundreds of years. Simply stated, light generally symbolizes good, while darkness symbolizes the complete opposite, evil. More specifically, Conrad uses detailed imagery of light and dark to show that white men can in fact be more savage than the natives. While the contrast of light and dark, white and black, and good and evil is a common theme in his novel, Conrad reverses the meanings of the two. In his story often the light is viewed as more menacing and evil than the darkness, and the white characters more spiteful than the black. In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad uses light and dark imagery and the reversing of their regular meanings as a main focal point throughout the novel. Conrad establishes throughout this the theme that not everything is as it seems. Conrad uses light imagery as a symbol of civilization. Darkness is defined as the absence of light just like the black jungle is defined as the absence of white man’s civilization, a civilization full of corruption and evil. Conrad’s first description of Brussels is an example of this. “In a very few hours I arrived at a city that always made me think of a white sepulcher.” It is significant that Conrad describes the building as a white coffin, because the job there is sending men out to retrieve ivory, ultimately resulting in their death. This cycle of evil begins and ends in...
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...David Santamaria Ms. Pasonelli AP English 7 November 2015 Light vs Darkness: The Irony within Heart of Darkness Through history there has always been a battle between good and evil, light and dark, the innocent and the guilty. Many times authors, spanning over a wide range of genres have embedded this battle into their stories. Joseph Conrad, did just that in his creation of Heart of Darkness. Amongst the deep jungles of the Congo River, Conrad places Marlow into a world where darkness dominates everyday life. Marlow throughout the story is seen to have pure intentions and can be seen as a symbol of light, whereas Kurtz who has been amongst the heart of the Congo for various years, can be seen as the embodiment of darkness. Now, the distinction of light and dark, good and evil, innocent and guilty, is not only represented between Marlow and Kurtz, but also by Kurtz’s intended and his mistress of the darkness from Africa. Conrad in the depiction of these characters uses irony to show that light is representative of ignorance and naivety whereas darkness is the embodiment of the truth and experience. To be naïve is to show lack of experience. This trait lies at the heart of every man and woman as well as boy and girl. Naivety goes hand in hand with ignorance and can often be seen as an embodiment of innocence as well as purity, which are representative of light. Marlow within Heart of Darkness, ultimately proves to be naïve as well as ignorant throughout various times...
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...In the late 1800s, a Belgian king wanted to dabble in Imperialism and he choose the Congo,. wWhich sadly meant for Congo that all its resources wereas going to be sucked dry. The government in the Congo made no honest and practical effort made to increase the knowledge of the Congolese people nor did they secure their welfare, which is what they promised (Williams, "Remembered and Reclaimed"). This is around the time the main character in the book Heart of Darkness, Marlow, went to Congo because of his obsession with Africa. As Marlow was going up Congo River and journeying to his final destination, he was disappointed with how things were operating due to the company’s inefficiency and brutality towards the slaves. The company in the book...
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...Adam Hochschild writes a historical text, King Leopold’s Ghost. In this, Leopold is a powerful king who is currently in control of land in the Congo. Throughout the passage, his language provides contrasts between his desired dream of his kingdom and the actual realities of the Congo. Hochschild compares the plantations of the Congo to his fantasy. The author narrates the thoughts circling in Leopold’s mind: “The Congo in Leopold’s mind was not the one of starving porters, raped hostages, emaciated rubber slaves, and severed hands” (Hochschild). The description of “starving”, “raped hostages”, and “emaciated rubber slaves” all provide a pessimistic connotation. Here it is implied that the Congo is a poor country, and the country relies on...
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...In the movie “White King, Red Rubber, Black Death”, King Leopold II of Belgium, wanted to be like other countries such as England, France, and Germany, in doing this, they would have to have colonies as a money producer, resources into his country, and along with new trade partners. Whereas, way King Leopold went about this was completely wrong and to this day he is protected from the people of Belgium of the truth of what happened in the African country of Congo. Leopold went in to find resources and that he did. He found rubber and an abundance of it. He came into the Congo and with fire and fury. Therefore, the Belgians took over and forced the people to harvest the rubber or else. As I will explain in the following paragraphs. I will...
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...The Moustache and What It Means The men we are today are sober, clean-cut, perfumed, responsible paper pushers. We haves soft hands, think before we say anything, and help out with the chores at home. Today disputes are settled in courts, and we are satisfied with the smallest amount of remuneration. We occupy our minds with complex words and equations and see very little of the outdoors. We let women vote, speak their minds, and, worst of all, occupy political office. Whereto have our rash, brute, moustache- adorned predecessors disappeared? The world as a whole is lacking real men. We’ve traded in our moustaches and booze for neckties and current events. It wasn’t long ago we had men like King Leopold II of Belgium who marched into Africa, annexed the mighty Congo, and turned a barren jungle into a booming sweatshop by forcing locals to tediously harvest rubber. If even the slightest rebuttal arose, Leopold would dismember the native children’s appendages. Some would say this was counterproductive. We say that he saw what he wanted and took it. This is evidence of true manliness. We shouldn’t let anything stand in the way of our desires—or passions. If we see a mountain we must climb it. Where have the days gone where we could settle our disputes as Chuck Norris would, with a swift roundhouse kick to the face? There is something gratifying about seeing that bloody maw of our comrades that may have, but a second ago, wore a grimace. These were the times were we could...
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...LA COLONISATION This is from a speech by King Leopold II of Belgium delivered in 1883 to Belgium missionaries: "Reverends, Father, and Dear Compatriots: The task that is given to us to fulfil is very delicate and requires much tact. You will go certainly to evangelize, but your evangelization must inspire above all Belgium interests. Your principal objective in our mission in the Congo is never to teach the niggers to know God. Thus they know already. They speak and submit to a Mungu, one Nzambi, one Nzakomba, and what else I don't know. They know that to kill, to sleep with someone else's wife, to lie and to insult is bad. Have courage to admit it; you are not going to teach them what they know already. Your essential role is to facilitate the task of administrators and industrials, which means you will go to interpret the gospel in the way it will be the best to protect your interests in that part of the world. For these things, you have to keep watch on disinteresting our savages from the richness that is plenty in their underground. To avoid that they get interested in it, and make you a murderous competition and dream one day to overthrow you. Your knowledge of the gospel will allow you to find texts ordering, and encouraging your followers to love poverty. Like happier are the poor because they will inherit the heaven and it's very difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. You have to detach from them...
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...Heart of Darkness Imperialism has always had certain negative effects. Not only are the victims of imperialism exploited economically but they are often bound to experience racism. The natives are forced to abandon their political and spiritual views to learn the ways of the imperialists. In Joseph Conrad's novel Heart of Darkness, Conrad describes the negative consequences affiliated with imperialism for not only the indigenous people, but also the imperialists themselves. In the beginning of the novel Heart of Darkness, Conrad shows that the British believed their imperialism had a positive influence on the Congolese by introducing them to civilization and the British way of life. "Hunters for gold or pursuers of fame, they all had gone out on that stream, bearing the sword, and often the torch, messengers of the might within the land, bearers of a spark from the sacred fire. What greatness had not floated on the ebb of that river into the mystery of an unknown earth! … The dreams of men, the seed of commonwealths, the germs of empires." (pp. 2-3 ll. 29-2). This is an optimistic statement describing the British mentality. They assume that they are imperializing for helpful reasons when they are truthfully just attempting to obtain Congo's resources. Marlow undermines the good intentions of the explorers. In the quote, "Mind, none of us would feel [...] at the back of it; not a sentimental pretence but an idea; and an unselfish belief in the idea." (pp. 4-5 ll. 26-5), Marlow...
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...Special Documents Speech Delivered by King Leopold II to the Missionaries Journeying to the Congo in 1883 (This speech reveals the motives and methods of colonialism. It shows that the relations between the former colonialists and the formerly subjected peoples has not changed in substance but in its sophistication.) ….Revered Fathers and Dear Compatriots; the task asked of you to accomplish is very delicate and demands much tact and diplomacy. Fathers, you are going to preach the Gospel, but your preaching must be inspired by first, the interest of the Belgium government state. The main goal of your mission in the Congo is not to teach the Negro the knowledge of God, because they already know him. They talk and commit themselves to their God. They know that killing, stealing, adultery and blasphemy are not good. Your role essentially will be to easily facilitate the task of the administrative and industrial personnel. That is to say, you will interpret the gospel in a way to protect and serve the interest of Belgium, in that part of the world. To do so you will see that our savages be not interested in the riches that their soil possesses in order that they not want them. Thus, they be not involved in murderous competition with us and dream to live a luxurious life. Your knowledge of the scriptures will help us to use special text that recommended the fidels to love poverty such as, “The Beatitudes”, “Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the Kingdom”; “It is hard...
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...After finishing the book, Heart of Darkness, I believe the resolution at the end of the book portrayed the company as the most evil. Although Kurtz used questionable methods to obtain the Ivory from the natives, I still feel as if the company was just as, if not more evil than Kurtz with their intentions. Once Kurtz is introduced we notice that he is a man with questionable means, but the Russian explains to us how he operates. Once this is revealed we can fully understand that he is not who we thought he was. Marlow expresses his disbelief because he believed that Kurtz was an honorable man, when in reality Kurtz had used force to obtain the majority of his Ivory. On the other hand I believed that using violence was the company’s plan the...
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...forcefully conquered and colonized by Europe. The accounts of this horrific colonization are revealed in Adam Hochschild's "King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa," which unveils the brutal nature of Belgium's conquest and colonization of the central African country Congo. This conquest began with Belgian King Leopold II, who grew up with minimal expressions of love and affection from his family. His emotional void was filled with an obsession for colonies and money. His thirst for expanding his own Belgian empire grew strong. He learned as much as one could about colonization and profit, and when he realized that no colonies were available for purchase, he knew he must use force. His eyes were set on Africa. "Only in Africa could Leopold hope to achieve his dream of seizing a colony, especially one immensely larger than Belgium" (Hochschild 61). As one of the greatest conquests in world history, along with the Jewish holocaust which killed 11 million people, the European conquest of Africa killed over 10 million people cutting the population of the Congo by at least half (Hochschild 233). In thoroughly understanding this tragic event in history, it is important to explore why Europe conquered and colonized Africa, how this conquer was accomplished, and Africa's response to it. Greed was at the center of King Leopold's European conquest and colonization of Africa. In his mid-twenties Leopold read the book "Java" about how to manage a colony...
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...Wal-Mart Lack of compassion Tip of the iceberg can describe the story below. Wal-Mart is company No. 1 in the world. It has the most revenue over any other company ($421 Billion). But its riches equal its controversies. This story is probably the most apt at describing the unethical treatment of its workers, because of the sheer senselessness of it. In 2000, a collision with a semi-trailer left 52-year-old Deborah Shank with permanent brain damage and in a wheelchair. Her husband and three sons were fortunate for a $700,000 accident settlement from the trucking company. After legal costs and other expenses, the remaining $417,000 was put in a special trust to care for Mrs. Shank. However, six years later the providers of Mrs. Shank’s health plan, Wal-Mart, sued the Shanks for the $470,000 it had spent on her medical care. Wal-Mart was fully entitled to the money; in the fine print of Mrs. Shank’s employment contract it said that money won in damages after an accident belonged to Wal-Mart. A federal judge had to rule in favor of Wal-Mart, and the family of Mrs. Shank had to rely on Medicaid and social-security payments for her round-the-clock care. Wal-Mart may be reversing the decision after public outcry. However this case pinpoints Wal-Mart’s often criticized treatment of employees as a commodity and its sometimes inhuman business ethics. 9 Trafigura Dumping Toxic waste on the Ivory Coast and gagging the media Earlier in the year, there was media frenzy in the...
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...King Leopold was first inspired by a book titled Java; or How to Manage a Colony. Leopold became so fascinated that he began corresponding with the author, an English lawyer, known by the name, J.W.B Money. In the book, Money mentioned that profit would come from forced labor; however, Leopold agreed and added that forced labor was the only way to improve the undeveloped peoples of the Far East. Not only desire for money but also for power, were Leopold’s dying reasons to acquire a colony. Leopold strongly believed that overseas colonies were key to a country’s greatness, and he worked hard to acquire colonial territory from belgium. The Belgian Government lent Leopold money as a citizen still to try to acquire the colony. In 1866 Leopold instructed the Belgian ambassador to speak to Queen Isabella II of Spain about giving the philippines to belgium. In 1868 Leopold replaced the ambassador with someone that would carry out his plan to acquire the Philippines, but without funds he was not able to. After the failed attempts to acquire the Philippines he then turned his attention to colonize Africa. In 1876 Leopold organized a private meeting called the international African Society. Two years after the meeting in 1878 King Leopold hired an explorer Henry Stanley to explore and acquire a colony in the Congo. Henry Stanley helped King Leopold II of Belgium to claim Congo by negotiating with its local leaders, although he would not apply any treaties that allowed power over Congo...
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...Heart of Darkness There are many themes that run through the novel Heart of Darkness. There are however two main and significant ones. These are the theme of restraint and man's journey into self. The importance of restraint is stressed throughout Heart of Darkness. In the novel Marlow is saved by restraint, while Kurtz is doomed by his lack of it. Marlow felt different about Africa before he went, because the colonization of the Congo had "an idea at the back of it." Despite an uneasiness, he assumed that restraint would operate there. He soon reaches the Company station and receives his first shock, everything there seems meaningless. He sees no evidence here of that "devotion to efficiency" that makes the idea work. In the middle of this, Marlow meets a "miracle". The chief accountant has the restraint that it takes to get the job done. He keeps up his appearance and his books are in "apple-pie order." Marlow respects this fellow because he has a backbone. "The cannibals some of those ignorant millions, are almost totally characterized by restraint." They outnumber the whites "thirty to five" and could easily fill their starving bellies. Marlow "would have as soon expected restraint from a hyena prowling amongst the corpses of a battlefield." The cannibal’s action is "one of those human secrets that baffle probability." This helps Marlow keep his restraint, for if the natives can possess this quality Marlow feels he certainly can. Kurtz is...
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