541. Heart of Darkness: Fear and Loathing in the Congo

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The central subject of the entire episode. Discussed extensively as a novella first published in Blackwood's magazine in 1899, one of the most celebrated works in English literature. The hosts analyze its plot, autobiographical origins from Conrad's Congo journey, its literary modernism, its themes of imperialism and human darkness, its cultural footprint (including Apocalypse Now), and the intense debates about whether it is a racist or anti-imperialist work. Multiple passages are read aloud throughout the episode.

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Described as a 'brilliantly influential book' by the Palestinian American critic. Discussed in the context of Said's broader critique of Heart of Darkness, where Said argued Conrad fails to reject imperialism and doesn't give Africans a chance of redemption. The hosts note some scholars think it's a terrible book while others (including one of the hosts) think it's brilliant.

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Mentioned as a book by a writer the hosts describe as Norwegian (actually Swedish), who was excoriating about European imperialism, particularly British imperialism. The title comes from Kurtz's phrase in Heart of Darkness, and the book was the basis for a documentary series. Discussed as an example of how Heart of Darkness has given anti-imperialists some of its language.

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Mentioned as published in 1897, referenced alongside other late Victorian works exploring the theme of darkness coming to England — paralleling Heart of Darkness's opening meditation on London as 'one of the dark places of the earth.'

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Referenced multiple times as Conrad's 'great biographer.' Cited for details about Conrad's childhood dream of visiting Africa, his traumatic Congo journey, the oppressive atmosphere that inspired Heart of Darkness, and the analysis that Kurtz's model comes from literary and philosophical tradition as much as real-life figures. Described as 'quite hard to get hold of.'

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Mentioned as Conrad's first novel, which he began writing in 1889 after returning to London from the South Seas, before his fateful journey to the Congo.

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Referenced as a source that identifies Leon Romm, a Belgian Force Publique captain who kept a flower bed ringed with human heads, as a possible model for the character of Kurtz.

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Described by one host as 'one of my favourite books,' published in 1890, the same year Conrad went to the Congo. About a Parisian train driver who is a sex-crazed homicidal maniac, it illustrates the late Victorian cultural theme that evil lurks within even the most banal person — a theme central to Heart of Darkness.

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Mentioned as published in 1899, the same year as Heart of Darkness. Cited to illustrate how the idea of repressed anxieties, primal urges, and terrible ghosts buried deep within the civilized self was simmering in the European imagination at the time Conrad was writing.

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Mentioned in a podcast advertisement for the Legacy podcast, described as a bestseller by Peter Frankopan that covers Genghis Khan's part of the world, establishing Frankopan's expertise on the Mongol empire.

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Referenced as a comparison to Heart of Darkness — both transpose the horrors of European colonialism to Britain. Just as Wells imagines an invasion of England, Conrad imagines armed Africans appearing on the road between Deal and Gravesend, catching yokels to carry heavy loads, to illustrate the reality of colonial violence.

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Mentioned as a poem by T.S. Eliot that begins with a quotation from Heart of Darkness: 'Mistah Kurtz—he dead.' Cited as evidence of Conrad's enormous literary influence and the quotability of Heart of Darkness.

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Discussed as Eliot's great poem, for which he originally wanted the 'the horror, the horror' passage from Heart of Darkness as its epigraph. The hosts note The Waste Land is a poem about the First World War and the darkness revealed within European civilisation, connecting it thematically to Conrad's prophetic vision.

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Referenced through the story of Faustus who sold his soul for earthly riches and is plunged into hell. The hosts note the parallel between the character Marlowe in Heart of Darkness and the playwright Christopher Marlowe who wrote this drama, suggesting the shared name cannot be coincidental given the Faustian themes of Kurtz's story.

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Referenced alongside Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus as part of the Faustian literary tradition that informs Kurtz's character — the idea of selling one's soul to the devil. The hosts note that Goethe wrote about Faust, and Thomas Mann would later write about Faust as well, placing Conrad in a long literary lineage.

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Briefly mentioned as a later work in the Faustian literary tradition — 'Thomas Mann will write about Faust a few decades after Conrad' — placing Heart of Darkness within a continuum of works exploring the theme of selling one's soul.

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Discussed at length as one of the most influential lectures/essays ever given about literary culture, delivered at the University of Massachusetts in 1975. Achebe declared Conrad 'a thoroughgoing racist' and argued Heart of Darkness cannot be called a great work of art because it dehumanizes Africans and treats Africa merely as a backdrop for European self-discovery. Described as a foundational moment for post-colonial literary studies. The hosts engage seriously with some of Achebe's criticisms while ultimately disagreeing with his conclusion.

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Discussed as the polar opposite of Heart of Darkness — a swashbuckling, optimistic journey into Africa that never questions the right of adventurers to be there. The hosts suggest reading both books as a pairing would be fascinating, as they represent two contrasting literary approaches to European engagement with Africa.