In this module, you will be introduced to the social fiction that justifies the economic enterprise and colonial expansion in the novella ‘Heart of Darkness’. The failure of classic realism, the ambivalence towards imperialism and imperialism in general will be covered in this module. You will also be shown the mapping of privilege and the machinery of colonialism through the narratives of Marlow, who is a middle aged seaman, travelling to Congo.

In this module, you will be shown themes such as 'The Hypocrisy of Imperialism', 'Madness as a Result of Imperialism' and 'The Absurdity of Evil' present in 'The Heart of Darkness'. Also, spectrality of the landscape, the events associated with the journey down river Congo and hyper-appropriation of imperialism will be covered in this module. You will also learn about the narrative technique used by Joseph Conrad, the technique of delayed decoding.