Sometimes people say stupid things. I never thought I would say this but it’s not their fault. I blame imperialism for their stupidity. Imperialism is the reason why people write Colombia with a “U” and ask if we live on rainforests. Once people are taught they are superior, it is hard for them to realize they are not the only ones who live in cities and eat McDonalds.
We see a similar thing happening in The Heart of Darkness, where Marlow compares his experience in Africa to traveling back to "prehistoric earth." For some time, he has to travel with cannibals. Surprised, he remarks: "And, after all, they did not eat each other before my face" (PDF). For your information Mr. Marlow, and all of you out there who think cannibals eat each other, they don't. If they did, then they wouldn't live in groups. Otherwise, they would always be in danger and it would just be stupid. People seem to live without thinking. Marlow thinks the native people in Africa are prehistoric because imperialism has taught him so. This is a statement he has never questioned. Thankfully, in The Heart of Darkness, the cannibals prove to remain calm and obedient in times of struggle while the pilgrims, on the other hand react violently. Through the ironic behavior of these two groups of humans, Conrad criticizes how hypocritical and poorly sustained imperialism ideas can be. How’s that for “prehistoric”?
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