How does Joseph Conrad connect to King Leopold's Congo?

Though never explicitly stated, Joseph Conrad's acclaimed 1899 novella Heart of Darkness is set within the Congo Free State ruled autocratically by Belgium's King Leopold II during the late 19th century. Conrad drew directly from his own brief experience as a riverboat captain in the Congo in 1890 to portray the horrific abuses and exploitation occurring under Leopold's rule. Analyzing these clear historical parallels sheds light on Conrad's scathing anti-imperial critique.

King Leopold II and His Totalitarian Rule in the Congo Free State

As sole ruler of the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908, King Leopold exercised totalitarian control over the region to maximize profits from the area's natural resources, particularly ivory and rubber. His oppressive regime relied on forced labor, punishment, and widespread killing to extract resources. Conrad's novella closely mirrors these actual conditions.

The Parallels in "Heart of Darkness" - Exploitation, Violence, and Kurtz

In Heart of Darkness, the trading company sends protagonist Marlow to the Congo to find Kurtz, an ivory agent who has reportedly gone rogue. Kurtz is later found to have brutally mistreated local Africans to obtain vast quantities of ivory, just as Leopold’s forces did. The chaotic violence and cruelty Marlow encounters directly parallels historical accounts of colonial atrocities under Leopold II.

Conclusion

While never explicitly stated, Joseph Conrad's scathing portrayal of exploitation and misery in the Congo clearly connects to the real-life horrors occurring under King Leopold II's avaricious rule. Conrad used his own brief Congo experience to compellingly convey the devastation of Belgian imperialism through the metaphorical journey of Heart of Darkness.