"Bloody Racist"

Conrad can be viewed as a “bloody racist” through out the story due to certain instances. He constantly degrades the people and emphasizes on their negative aspects. This notion is illustrated when he claims that “They were called criminals, and the outraged law, like the busting shells, had come to them, an insoluble mystery from the sea. All their meager breast panted together, the violently dilated nostrils quivered, the eyes stared stonily uphill. They passed me within six inches, with out a glance, with that complete, deathlike indifference of unhappy savages.” Why would he utilize the term “savage” in order to describe a human being? We commonly, relate the term savage to animals. This can illustrate his radical belief towards racism. He compares the people to animals. He could have had simply referred to them as individuals.

There was also another scene that demonstrated his extreme and “bloody” views. He says that “They were dying slowly—it was very clear. They were not enemies, they were not criminals. They were nothing earthy now—nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation, lying confusedly in the green-ish gloom.” At this point he doesn’t even consider the people as humans. They were less than dirt. He does not even strive to aid them. Instead, he observes their pitiful lives without a single heart felt emotion. He even proceeds further by calling them creatures. He claims that “While I stood horror- struck, one of these creatures rose to his hands and knees, and went off on all- fours towards the river to drink. Through the usage of the term “creatures”, he dehumanizes them. Additionally, once again he portrays them as animals by saying that “went off on all-fours towards the river to drink.” These remarks certainly give the notion of racism. If he was not a racist, he would have portrayed the people in a different light. It was not necessary to bestow animalistic characteristics upon the people.

His racist tactics can also be portrayed by his description of the man that strolled by him. He says “When near the buildings I met a white man, in such an unexpected elegance of getup that in the first moment I took him for a sort of vision…. He was amazing, and had a penholder behind his ear.” How can he be capable of noticing such explicit details while men are literally dying before his eyes? This demonstrates his lack of concern and racists beliefs towards the people.