It's good. Bear in mind this was written in the very late 1800's. Nowdays most people are aware, at least dimly, that the empire did some deeply unpleasent shit. Back then there was still an empire.
So yeah, Conrad shows colonialism for what it is. It's depicted as an atrocity. There's a bit where a warship is shelling the brush - someone's quoted it in the comments - and that sorta helps set some themes. Conrad, back in the 1800's in the heart of the empire, is writing fiction that explicitly rips the mask of colonialism. There's no earnest missionaries, no improving projects just brutal oppression and extraction of wealth.
Sure I would expect the book has its issues, but this is one instance where 'look at the time/context it was written in' is valid.
It's good. Bear in mind this was written in the very late 1800's. Nowdays most people are aware, at least dimly, that the empire did some deeply unpleasent shit. Back then there was still an empire.
So yeah, Conrad shows colonialism for what it is. It's depicted as an atrocity. There's a bit where a warship is shelling the brush - someone's quoted it in the comments - and that sorta helps set some themes. Conrad, back in the 1800's in the heart of the empire, is writing fiction that explicitly rips the mask of colonialism. There's no earnest missionaries, no improving projects just brutal oppression and extraction of wealth.
Sure I would expect the book has its issues, but this is one instance where 'look at the time/context it was written in' is valid.
There actually was some good missionaries. e.g. William Henry Sheppard