Shadows of Madness: Unveiling Imperialism and Psychological Collapse in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness (Published)
Belgian colonial atrocities perpetrated a brutal regime of exploitation and hierarchical supremacy, forcibly imposed upon the Congolese people from 1885 to 1908. Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, written during this period, illustrates this isolation and its psychological ramifications, regarded as ‘madness.’ Imperialism and madness are linked paradoxically in the story. This research explores imperialism, mental fragmentation, and their inextricably linked in Conrad’s novella. It studies how colonial oppression in the Congo breeds madness, remarkably embodied by Kurtz, whose psychological disintegration represents the moral decay that ties imperialism. The paper focuses on the negative impacts of colonial power by examining the conflict between civilization and savagery, the widespread racism, and the inconsistency of Marlow’s story. Conrad’s perspective of the African land considered a site of mental torment approaches a pinnacle in the obscurity of Kurtz’s final words, which both reflect personal anguish and collective agony. This investigation also emphasizes the relentless mental trauma of colonialism and shows its controversial historical legacy.
Keywords: Imperialism, Kurtz, Madness, colonial exploitation, psychological collapse