Throughout the novel Conrad tends to degrade the natives. He makes them seem inhuman and unearthly. Discuss the effect this has on characterization in the novel.
Conrad does much more than degrade the natives; he degrades humanity as a whole. Because the traders treat the "criminals" so poorly, they become less relatable characters and morph into monsters that seem like a completely different species altogether. This is especially apparent when the full extent of Kurtz's power-hungry nature is revealed: the plans for "extermination," the the "rebel" heads on sticks, etc. Because the natives are treated like animals, their oppressors begin to become the animals as well, such as when the natives treat Kurtz as if he were a god and Kurtz accepts it. His desire to "bring civilization" to Africa resulted in him becoming the "brute" he sought to oppress. Yes, the Africans were treated inhumanely; they were referred to as "criminals" rather than slaves, they were killed at random, and the traders attempted to force their lifestyle onto them, but this shows more of how inhuman the traders are rather than the natives. Their greed and ethnocentrism shows that all humans, despite good intentions, can become the true "brutes."
Wow. Honestly, just wow. This is magnificent. I love the way you powerfully capture exactly what Conrad was trying to get across to the audience. "His desire to 'bring civilization' to Africa resulted in him becoming the 'brute' he sought to oppress." That in itself is the main lesson in this novel. The only complaint I have is that Marlow's not mentioned. Marlow was the one expected to turn out like this (out of the two) in the beginning from his degradation of the natives. Actually, he is disgusted when he sees the skulls that Kurtz has displayed as a warning. It's Marlow that, for the sake of them being "too dark", withholds Kurtz' true last words.
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