Heart of Darkness
A ship captain narrates his journey into the African Congo to retrieve a renowned ivory trader, encountering the horrifying realities of colonial exploitation. The narrative descends into the madness and darkness of imperial ambition.
Heart of Darkness is a masterwork of colonial critique that exposes the darkness underlying imperial civilization. Its formal innovation and psychological depth established it as a Modernist essential.
Written during the height of European imperialism and the Belgian Congo atrocities, Heart of Darkness offered early literary critique of colonialism, though subsequent interpretations have debated its racial politics.
Mass production and urbanization gave rise to the modern novel and the exploration of social inequality.