...Throughout the two novels, Thomas Hardy’s “Tess of the d’Urbervilles” and Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness,” the common theme of oppression by using psychological methods prevails. Tess’ parents and Alec can control her by leveraging guilt as a way of victimization which ultimately seals her fate. Mr. Kurtz in” Heart of Darkness” takes control over the weaker African natives to force them into submission. Both stories have this underlying theme of power and domination resulting in feelings of slavery and victims of fate. “Tess of the d’Urbervilles” is a tale of the tragic life of Tess that results when she accidentally kills Prince, the family horse. Tess’ parents use the guilt that she feels to exploit her and force her to work for the family. Therefore, she encounters Alec, who ultimately rapes and impregnates Tess. Instead of Alec being condemned for his actions, Tess is publically criticized and cast aside for this act, even though she was the victim. The cruel hand of fate hangs over all the characters and actions of the novel, as Tess’ story is defined by the bad things that happen to her. Thomas Hardy himself, as the author of the book, naturally causes the many unfair coincidences and plot twists that beset Tess, however as the person telling the story, he also manages to appear as her only champion against an unjust world. Tess's difficult situations are described as mere sport for the "President of the People who will never die," which is very...
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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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...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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...The goals of countries reflect the desire for power that all humans have. As seen throughout the history of the world, countries have been continuously fighting for control of different lands. In this way, those in power built empires, affecting thousands of lives in the process. Belgium was one of these imperialistic countries and Joseph Conrad depicted the effects of their take over in his novel. Colonialism, as shown in Heart of Darkness, “Heritage,” and “An Image of Africa,” has drastic effects on individuals that force them to alter both their presence in and their view of the world. Heart of Darkness illustrated the effects of imperialism on two main characters: Marlow and Kurtz. Marlow’s experience and awareness of the struggles in...
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...Colonial Expansion in England After the loss of the American colonies in 1783 Britain began to look for new colonies in order to find cheap sources of raw materials. The 19th century brought about the greatest prosperity in Britain. Its sources lay in colonial expansion, industrialization, improved transport, and social reforms. At the beginning of the century Britain was at war with Napoleonic France. In 1806, Napoleon issued the Berlin Decree forbidding any country under his control from trading with Britain. In the following year, the British issued Orders in Council, granting the right to seize neutral shipping bound for French controlled ports. This decision led to a war with the USA (1812-1814). In 1815, the Duke of Wellington (1769-1852) defeated Napoleon at Waterloo near Brussels, and after the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Britain became the greatest and richest power in Europe. The British controlled world trade. In the 19th century the population of Britain increased rapidly. By 1815 it had reached 13 million and London was one of the largest cities in Europe (1 million inhabitants). By 1850 half the population lived in towns and London had more than 2 million inhabitants. Between 1750 and 1850 the population of Britain increased threefold. Victoria, daughter of the Duke of Kent, a younger son of King George III, succeeded her uncle, William IV, in 1837. Her reign lasted until her death in 1901, and it was marked by a steady growth of national wealth and expansion...
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...THE neo-colonialism of today represents imperialism in its final and perhaps its most dangerous stage. In the past it was possible to convert a country upon which a neo-colonial regime had been imposed — Egypt in the nineteenth century is an example — into a colonial territory. Today this process is no longer feasible. Old-fashioned colonialism is by no means entirely abolished. It still constitutes an African problem, but it is everywhere on the retreat. Once a territory has become nominally independent it is no longer possible, as it was in the last century, to reverse the process. Existing colonies may linger on, but no new colonies will be created. In place of colonialism as the main instrument of imperialism we have today neo-colonialism. The essence of neo-colonialism is that the State which is subject to it is, in theory, independent and has all the outward trappings of international sovereignty. In reality its economic system and thus its political policy is directed from outside. The methods and form of this direction can take various shapes. For example, in an extreme case the troops of the imperial power may garrison the territory of the neo-colonial State and control the government of it. More often, however, neo-colonialist control is exercised through economic or monetary means. The neo-colonial State may be obliged to take the manufactured products of the imperialist power to the exclusion of competing products from elsewhere. Control over government ...
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...Imperialism by Robin Hathorn Cultural imperialism is the practice of promoting, distinguishing, separating, and artificially injecting the culture or language of one nation in another. It is usually the case that the former is a large, economically or militarily powerful nation and the latter is a smaller, less affluent nation. Cultural imperialism can take the form of an active, formal policy or a general attitude. Cultural imperialism is a form of cultural influence distinguished from other forms by the use of force, such as military or economic force. Cultural influence is a process that goes on at all times between all cultures that have contact with each other. Cultural imperialism is also very different from other imperialistic ways, in the sense that no military or economic intervention is needed to be able to influence countries. When discussing cultural imperialism involving the United States, one often refers to the U.S. as the "American Empire". The American Empire is a term sometimes used to describe the historical domination and the current political, economic, and cultural influence of the United States on a global scale. Cultural imperialism involves much more than simple consumer goods; however, it involves the teaching and implementation American principles, such as freedom and democracy on to other nations. However, it is in popular culture that the mutual relationship between America and the rest of the world is demonstrated best. Cultural imperialism...
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...the reasons include Imperialistic and nationalistic feelings of the British people and of the Afrikaners , military conflicts, political actions and economic reasons. This essay will try to prove that the most important reason which influenced British relationship with its empire in Africa between 1870-1981 were economic reasons to a great extent as each and every action of the British leaders concerning Africa was either purely based on economic interest or had an indirect economic motive. To begin with before the 1870’s British policy towards its African empire was mainly focused on informal imperialism. This type of control was mainly focused on trading agreements as Britain did not establish territorial control. The primary purpose focused on purely economic interests. However everything changed during the period of the 1870s. The shift of British policy towards formal imperialism reflected a significant shift in Britain’s relationship with its Empire. The main factors that led to this change were economic reasons. According to a study which was published in 1902...
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...Is contemporary capitalism a kind of imperialism? For Ellen Meiskins Wood, it is the ‘empire of capital’ that is shaping our world. For her, the empire of capital is the new form of imperialism across the globe. Capitalism, she argues, has become ‘universal’ and it spans the globe with pervasive and intrusive control over human life and nature. It is operating with its systemic logic of ‘accumulation, commodification, profit maximization, and competition’. The empire of capital has achieved its global and penetrating grip by setting free and directing the destructive forces of the capitalist market and ‘totalizing itself’ intensively and extensively to permeate all spheres wherever it establishes itself. It is alive and there's no sign of its demise in the near future. Wood argues that capitalist imperialism, driven by market imperatives, and unlike other imperialisms before it, ‘seeks to impose its economic hegemony without political domination wherever it can.’ Empire of Capital provides perceptive insights into the fundamental nature of capitalist imperialism and what drives it. ‘The Detachment of Economic Power’ she provides an explanation of and dissects capital imperialism. She shows how under ‘empire of capital’ (the new imperialism) the economic power of capital is detached from political and military power (extra-economic force) and discusses the relation between them, as well as the implication of the detachment on the relation between the economy and the state...
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...to having access to the world at a click of a button, but is every country equal in its access to communication and media? Do all countries have access to television? Media imperialism will be discussed, media imperialism is loosely defined as a theory that suggests that smaller countries are losing their identity and culture due to the dominance of media from larger nations. Today we're not only receiving the word almost immediately, but there are also possibilities for live pictures and sound giving a feeling of presence almost virtually wherever it happens on the planet. The earlier seemingly logical relationship between space and time is moving apart, and distance is no longer an obstacle resulting in the world seeming smaller. In this article, media imperialism will be looked at in the television industry. We look at the world’s largest media giant Time Warner that recently announced its merger with Comcast making it a force to be reckon with a value of over $45 billion dollars. Then we look nationally at our very own media giant, MultiChoice, and its CEO of the holding company Naspers, Mr Koos Bekker. This media mogul has pathed the way for media in South Africa and we look at what made him so successful and how he manages such a powerful organisation such as Naspers. How does media imperialism effect the television industry? This question is discussed, and looked at in depth. The world is divided into first world countries, who produce media, and developing countries...
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...Summary of “Classical Imperialism, an economic and political background 1880-1945” The text “Classical Imperialism, an economic and political background 1880-1945 “ was written by Madelung & Frederiksen in 1985. The text is about the British Empire and how it develops. Europeans drive to foreign lands because of their greed and idealism, and their goal is to get goods from overseas. The reason that makes it possible for the Europeans is their economic, military and technical superiority. England begins to depend more on importing raw materials, since it is very hard to feed the growing population of England. They start importing raw materials in the beginning of the 19th century, and meanwhile the other European countries begin to develop their own industries and infrastructures. (Alex & Emil J.) In 1880 25 % of the whole world belongs to the British Empire. France, Germany, Belgium and the United States of America are at this time building barriers to protect their new industries. The British Empire is controlling the markets economically and politically. All the countries are trying to take over Africa. In 1884 there is a conference called “The Berlin Conference”. In this conference, they are saying that without colonies, there can’t be no industry and with no industry there can’t be no adequate prosperity. They are also ratifying the principles of Free Trade and free access and, legal protection for traders, explorers, missionaries, and scientists. Finally...
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...Case Study: Jules Ferry Melissa Elliott Chamberlain College of Nursing HIST 410 Professor Franklin March 06, 2016 Case Study: Jules Ferry 1. According to Ferry, what recent developments in world trade have made it urgent for France to have colonies? As an imperialist, Jules Ferry felt that France should be exploring and taking over new nations. He claimed colonial expansion was a great need that had become extremely urgent by the people and industrialized population of Europe (Kleinman, 1897). He stated that other countries, United States and Germany, were exporting so much more than France was. Jules Ferry compiled a report of statistics with his perspective of that great need for colonial expansion (Kleinman, 1897). This report asked questions daring the readers to disagree. Asking if it was a “fantasy”, a “concern that could wait for the future” or a “crying need” for the people of France and its industrial population (Kleinman, 1897). In his mind, he was just voicing what others could plainly see themselves just by looking around. In his words “France needs more outlets for exporting (Kleinman, 1897, para. 2)”. He proved this by blaming Germany for France not having enough outlets because they were setting trade barriers up. Then he blamed the United States for supporting Germany because the U.S. had become “protectionists and extreme protectionists at that (Kleinman, 1897, para. 2)”. He claimed that because of the dwindling markets it was becoming more difficult...
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...At the peak of Imperialism in the late nineteenth century, the “Scramble for Africa” occurred. This is formally recognized as the event in which European actors recognized Africa for its material wealth and began to invade, occupy, and extract resources. Subsequently, while each colony varied in outcome, the most inhumanely prolific colony was, arguably, the Congo Free State. King Leopold II of Belgium, claimed the Congo as his own in order to become a world power and as a result, the Congo Free State suffered from casualties upwards of 10 million people. Thus, the argument is a raised that despite the accolades that rendered the Congo a “free state”, genocide existed under King Leopold’s rule. In order to explore this concept, Roger Casement’s...
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...From 1850-1914 imperialism cast a shadow of racism, forced labor, and conflict across the globe. Some will argue that the addition of new technologies, better education, and improved sanitation made this time a positive one. Overall, imperialism could be viewed as having both a positive and negative impression on the world. Nevertheless, after analyzing all the information, it is clear that the negatives strongly outweigh the positives. Imperialism itself is defined as, the act of a strong nation controlling a weaker nation (SFA 115). There were two main methods that imperialists used to manage their colonies. The first was used mainly by France and other European nations and was called direct control. They believed that natives simply could...
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...Greed Greed is a scary motive. Greed is what created today’s world. Imperialism is one-sided, forcing things onto products, environments, cultures. Imperialism started spreading from Europe in the 16th century, dramatically affecting everything in its past. The effects of past imperialism contributed to a globalized world and still does to this day. Imperialism went through two significant stages and were all affected by greed, whether it was for more land, a bigger economy, or more power. Greed began the growth of European imperialism through the conquering of North America and South America. European imperialism is what founded the United States and created the first worldly genocide, wiping out Native American tribes, Hispanic colonies, and countless others. Imperialism, then, spread throughout the rest of the world creating one, if not, the biggest genocide in world history in Tasmania. Searching for more land, trying to expand country’s power and economy caused more pain and suffering than it did good in the first phase of Imperialism. The outcome of early global imperialism did not come into effect until quite some time later, slavery being the first. Europeans were the superior people based on the fact that they...
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