Theme Of Imperialism In Heart Of Darkness
Coppola’s Apocalypse Now and Conrad’s Heart of Darkness share themes of imperialism and how it corrupts supposedly impeccable men, regardless of the different settings. Coppola followed nearly all of Conrad’s elements in Heart of Darkness including inefficiencies, motivations, and savagery. The situation in Vietnam was very alike the one in the Congo seventy years earlier, and Coppola was able to use many themes present in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness to create a modernized adaptation of the novella. Destined for work in the Pentagon with an impressive resume, Colonel Kurtz was an exemplary soldier and leader in Vietnam. Conrad’s Kurtz was a man of many talents as he was an artist, writer, and rising politician prior to his conquest in the Congo.
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Aspects of modern imperialism have been around since mid 19th century, and the inefficiencies of the cause are still just as prevalent in Coppola’s Apocalypse Now. In the Congo, it was found that there were Pilgrims walking around aimlessly, expecting work to fall upon their laps, or men doing work yet there was “a hole in the bottom of his pail.” (Conrad 28) as he moved a quart of water. Characters such as the Brickmaker who had been “entrusted [by the company to be in charge of] the making of bricks - so I had been informed; but there wasn’t a fragment of brick anywhere in …show more content…
Kurtz is completely removed from the aspects of society which hold people mentally together such as government or law, and is placed in a situation where he has the ability to do what ever he so pleases. Kurtz descends into savagery and has nothing restricting him from reverting back to his darker instincts. Colonel Kurtz finds himself in a very similar situation where he comes to a slow realization that the ridiculous inefficiencies of fighting the Viet Cong are not worth continuing under the command of a power who are fighting an impossible war. This realization of the inefficiencies and true motivations of his country are sparked by a report on downfalls of current military policies that he wrote. Colonel Kurtz travels up the Nung River to Cambodia where he is no longer technically in a war zone. Given the opportunity to go rogue and revert to his natural savage ways, Colonel Kurtz positions himself as a deity in the eyes of the natives and a cameraman, similar to Kurtz with the natives or the
Aspects of modern imperialism have been around since mid 19th century, and the inefficiencies of the cause are still just as prevalent in Coppola’s Apocalypse Now. In the Congo, it was found that there were Pilgrims walking around aimlessly, expecting work to fall upon their laps, or men doing work yet there was “a hole in the bottom of his pail.” (Conrad 28) as he moved a quart of water. Characters such as the Brickmaker who had been “entrusted [by the company to be in charge of] the making of bricks - so I had been informed; but there wasn’t a fragment of brick anywhere in …show more content…
Kurtz is completely removed from the aspects of society which hold people mentally together such as government or law, and is placed in a situation where he has the ability to do what ever he so pleases. Kurtz descends into savagery and has nothing restricting him from reverting back to his darker instincts. Colonel Kurtz finds himself in a very similar situation where he comes to a slow realization that the ridiculous inefficiencies of fighting the Viet Cong are not worth continuing under the command of a power who are fighting an impossible war. This realization of the inefficiencies and true motivations of his country are sparked by a report on downfalls of current military policies that he wrote. Colonel Kurtz travels up the Nung River to Cambodia where he is no longer technically in a war zone. Given the opportunity to go rogue and revert to his natural savage ways, Colonel Kurtz positions himself as a deity in the eyes of the natives and a cameraman, similar to Kurtz with the natives or the