In the book heart of darkness by Joseph Conrad, the author talks about colonialism and the work industry in Africa. I believe that civilization in Africa is about how far the countries have progressed since the time of colonialism in terms of technology and how they govern their territories. The level of intelligence that people have also is used to differentiate the people who are civilized and those who are not. Civilization comes with a lot of evils, corruption being one of them. Undefined Moral issues and the ambiguity of cultures make Africa uncivilized.
The author refers to colonialism as a period of enlightenment for Africans. In page 99 Marlow says "I don't like work, no one does, but I, like what is in the work, the chance to find yourself." It is ironical that of all places, one would discover himself in a dark continent that is not civilized. Coming to hunt for ivory in Africa is not a symbol of civilization. In page 138 Kurtz says the following words as he is about to die "Save me! - save the ivory, you mean." Kurtz is known for having exploited the savages and he had almost become like one of them. He being saved from dying was not going to save the ivory. In fact it was vice versa because his dying symbolized an end to hunt for ivory.
Marlow in page 142 says "even apart from the very natural aversion I had to beat that shadow." This is to a realization that he was no different from the savages who were uncivilized (Conrad, 142). "A light was still burning but Kurtz was not there." Marlow said this when he realized that Kurtz had escaped. To mean that the savages did not need the whites to show them the details of civilization is because they were not different from them.
