Positive and Negative Sides of The Imperialism

Introduction: Understanding Imperialism

Did imperialism have a positive or negative impact? In this essay, I will explore this question, but first, we must define what imperialism is and examine some examples to give us a clearer idea of its implications. Imperialism can be defined as the practice of expanding territory and power by gaining political and economic control over other areas. It is important to note that imperialism and colonialism are not synonymous. As we learned in World History classes, colonialism often involved more direct and violent control over colonies. While some parts of Africa were colonized, a greater portion was subjected to imperialism. The book Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad illustrates the harsh conditions in which the inhabitants of the Belgian Congo lived and the mistreatment they faced from French soldiers. The book also depicts how the French Empire expanded its territory and obtained ivory to trade back in France.

Positive and Negative Sides of Imperialism

Many people consider Heart of Darkness to be autobiographical because Joseph Conrad, the author, visited the Congo and used an alter ego named Marlow to convey life in Africa to those unfamiliar with it. Conrad once described this experience as “an experience taken a little beyond the real facts,” yet he worked diligently to ensure that the book did not seem autobiographical. In the opening scene, Conrad and his friends appear on a boat, with Marlow being the only fictional character, serving as Conrad’s alter ego. At that time, many areas in Africa were uncharted and appeared as blank spaces on maps. Geographers named rivers and lakes in these blank spaces, and where there were no cities, they placed elephants as symbols. As a child, Conrad was curious and resolved to visit these blank spaces when he grew up. This curiosity led him to the Belgian Congo a quarter-century later, commanding a ship that trafficked ivory along the Congo River. In the book, Conrad describes Marlow pointing to the center of Africa on a map, at a river that resembled a giant serpent. Years later, Marlow uses all his contacts to become the captain of a steamship trafficking ivory.

The African tribes depicted in the book were aggressive and violent, possibly as a reaction to the arrival of empires that sought to colonize their land and people. A story among sailors recounts the fate of Captain Johannes Fresleven, Marlow’s predecessor, who died in a dispute on January 22, 1890, with local tribal chiefs over a chicken purchase. The tribe’s violence drove the steamship's crew to flee, leaving Fresleven’s body behind, which led to Marlow’s appointment as captain. Another incident in the book demonstrates the natives' hostility: Marlow and his crew, on their way to find Mr. Kurtz, the most successful ivory trader in the Congo, were attacked by natives shooting arrows, resulting in casualties, including among the slaves maintaining the ship. By the book’s end, it is revealed that Mr. Kurtz orchestrated the attack to avoid leaving his settlement and the tribe that provided him with ivory.

Imperial Perceptions and the Native Response

What struck me was the sailors' simultaneous fear and respect for Africa's jungles and rivers, territories largely unknown to them. The tribes, indifferent to the foreigners, would kill them at the first opportunity. In a book passage, Marlow describes his employer's premises: “To me, the yellow corresponded to me. Death in the center. There was the river, fascinating, deadly, like a snake” (Conrad, 16). He was examining a map showing empires' territories marked by color: red for the British Empire, blue for the French Empire, and yellow for the Belgian Empire. Marlow’s destination, the Belgian Congo, was marked in yellow. Thus, Marlow referred to the river as deadly due to the uncertainty of the territory and his fate upon arrival.

Foreigners viewed natives and tribes as adversaries, and the sentiment was mutual. Mukunzo Kioko, an oral historian of the Pende tribe, recounts how, upon the conquerors' arrival with a large ship adorned with white sails, the natives perceived the white men as vumbi (spirits returning from the dead). Fearing these spirits, the natives shot arrows to drive them away, but the foreigners retaliated with firearms, killing many. The ancestors fled, and the wise declared these men to be the land’s former owners, heralding an era of war and misery. I concur with the natives that empires brought only misery. Their arrival on this uncharted land sparked competition among empires for territory, harming tribes caught in the crossfire or enslaved by the conquerors.

Conclusion: Reflecting on Imperialism's Legacy

In conclusion, to address the teacher's question, I believe the violence and brutality of these explorations were unjustifiable. Africa's land belonged to its natives, not to foreigners with profit-driven motives. Empires should have expanded their territories through conflicts with other empires, not with defenseless tribes. Overall, I appreciated the book’s detailed depiction of imperialism at the time and the mistreatment of natives by imperial soldiers. I also enjoyed its historical accuracy, reflecting Joseph Conrad’s experiences. I recommend this book to history enthusiasts interested in learning about imperialism and slavery. In closing, we must contemplate this topic, considering the immense suffering of natives, many of whom died from starvation or were deemed useless by soldiers and killed.

References

Conrad, J. (1899). Heart of Darkness. Blackwood's Magazine.

Mukunzo Kioko, Oral historian, Pende Tribe. (n.d.). Personal communication.