Mark HumbleMr. KaneftHonors British LiteratureApril 6, 2014The Superficiality of CivilizationAre we so accustomed to our own customs that we consider the lifestyles and culture of other countries too different, and in some cases uncivilized? Sure, some countries have it harder and do things more differently than we do, but even some of those countries can be considered civilized. Let's take the example of an African country. The first thing that comes to mind for many is that it is a "place of darkness" (Heart of Darkness 5) and that they are far from civilized in terms of lifestyles and practices. lifestyles of other, more diverse cultures. These people consider them savages because they are so blinded by the civilized and advanced nature of the place where they live, and are too ignorant to have an open mind about anyone else's house. Kurtz, one of the main characters in Joseph Conrad's short story Heart of Darkness, is the perfect example of the overwhelming nature of ignorance and the inability to survive in another setting for an extended period of time without going insane . Heart of Darkness is a novel. this makes for many different themes that can often be discussed or present a contradictory idea. For my topic, I have chosen the argument between Civilization and Savagery, and I will reveal the true meaning of what each word means in the context of the book. In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad reveals that in reality Europeans are truly more savage than the more civilized Africans, showing that all is not what meets the eye. In the novel, there is obvious disagreement among readers whether or not the native Africans were actually more savage than the Europeans who intruded into their country. The sense of civilization is useless without first thinking about what is happening in the middle. of paper......Works citedAchebe, Chinua. “A Picture of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness” Massachusetts Review 18 (1977): 251-61. Print.Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. New York: Dover, 1990. Print. Miller, J Hillis. “Should We Read Heart of Darkness” Modern Critical Interpretations of Bloom: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. Ed. Harold Bloom New York: Blooms Literary Review, 2008. 115-29. Print.Paris, Bernard. “Travel to the inner station. » Modern critical interpretations of Bloom: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. Ed. Harold Bloom New York: Blooms Literary Review, 2008. 5-17. Print.Watts, Cedric. “Heart of Darkness” Modern Critical Interpretations of Bloom: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. Ed. Harold Bloom New York: Blooms Literary Review, 2008. 19-36. Print.