Heart of Darkness by Joseph ConradOur world has been rife with racism since before biblical times. Two of the most inhumane consequences of racism are detribalization and slavery. During 19th century European imperialism, racism led to many acts of inhumanity by Europeans, particularly in Africa. In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad presents us with a fictional account of these inhumane acts in Africa, illustrating that racism and its consequences are the cruelest examples of man's inhumanity to man. One of the reasons why racism is such a cruel example of man's inhumanity to man is that it is based on a view of individuals as members of groups rather than as individuals. Conrad discusses this group of people leading to racism when he has Charlie Marlow say: "The conquest of the earth, which mainly means taking it away from those who have a different finish or a slightly flatter nose than us, is not not a good idea. thing when you think about it too much (Conrad 70). As Edward W. Said, author of Culture and Imperialism, explains, “Independence was for whites and Europeans; inferior or submissive peoples had to be governed…” (says 24). The mentality of the whites allowed them to feel as if they could dominate the natives. This mentality led to the abuse and destruction of people they deemed worthless. To control a people by dehumanizing them, it is enough to treat them as if they were an object. In Heart of Darkness, the natives are objects, and even more atrocious, trophies for the white man. They would have been more impressive, those heads on top. pickets, if their faces had not been turned towards the house. Only one, the first I had seen, was facing me. I wasn't as shocked as you might... middle of paper ... In Hallet's book, there is also talk of valueless culture. To observers at the end of the 19th century, Africa seemed the most “barbaric” and “uncivilized” of the continents. “Barbaric” and “uncivilized” were imprecise and emotive epithets that contemporary modernity. Europeans turned to many foreign cultures whose customs they did not attempt to understand (Hallet 40). Unfortunately, the human race has demonstrated its cruelty and inhumanity throughout time. This has been particularly horrible in race relations. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad illustrates the preponderance of European racism and its brutality in Africa. By viewing Africans as a group rather than individuals, dehumanizing them, and ultimately destroying entire cultures, the Europeans in Heart of Darkness show the absolute atrocity of man's inhumanity to man..