Imperialism

“The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves…” (pg. 7)

During the 19th century, many of the dominant countries of the world, including Belgium, pursued colonial expansion through imperialism. Nations wishing to expland often reached out to countries of different ethnicities for both commercial and nationalistic reasons. By the late 1800’s, much of Africa had been colonized. Conrad's reference to conquest not only gives insight into the time period, but also gives foresight into what Marlow will discover while navigating the Congo; colonization observed in Kurtz's control over a tribe of cannibals.

"British colonialism - Hutchinson encyclopedia article about British colonialism." Hutchinson Encyclopedia. Web. 11 Aug. 2009. http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/British+colonialism