How Joseph Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’ changed travel forever
Heart of Darkness isn’t just one of the great British books of all time, but it’s also a piece of art that has fundamentally altered literature as well as travel, and how it’s understood and represented, even today.
It’s been well over a century since Joseph Conrad’s novella was first published in 1899, the story depicting sailor Charles Marlow’s journey into the Congo, and his assignment to find Kurtz, an ivory trader, who had “gone native”. Despite being written at the height of European Imperialism and set against the background of Belgium’s reign of terror in the country, this is a book that subverted the traditional narratives around exploration and adventure at the time.
The way in which Conrad presented travel had a huge impact at the time and has a lasting influence, even being reflected, perhaps unknowingly, in modern travel content, as prior to him, there had been a literary tradition that celebrated discovery and conquest, where explorers were depicted as heroic figures, bringing civilisation where there was none, and echoing colonial ideologies. However, Heart of Darkness sought to challenge this narrative, using Marlow’s journey to reveal the truth behind the violence and exploitation at the heart of European control in the region, offering not a romantic view of travel but the portrayal of something rawer, more honest and exposing the reality of the violence of such conquests.
It’s perhaps a reach to claim that Heart of Darkness has led to more considered and ethical travel, but by detailing the exploitation inherent in colonialism, it prompts us to question the impact of our presence on foreign soil. Cultural sensitivity and environmental sustainability have been two of the biggest changes in travel over the past decade or so, and there is a direct link to Conrad and how Heart of Darkness challenged the assumption that all travel was positive, urging introspection on our parts, every step of the way.
In the book, we learn that travel isn’t about conquering or possession, but that its true strength is learning and understanding. As tourists, we’re able to get a more enjoyable, fascinating experience by immersing ourselves in a culture, rather than just importing our own. As Marlow’s travel descends deeper into the Congo, the lens turns onto human nature, rather than the surroundings, a revolutionary take that encouraged future authors and creators to not only focus on the where, but to forgo the environment and focus on how it impacts the internal experience, beyond seeing a new place to confronting our own beliefs.
The shift from seeing travel as about outward discovery to inward reflection is something we see heavily in the modern digital travel media landscape. While the idea of finding yourself is a tired, gap-year cliché, it’s certainly true that travel can be an opportunity for personal growth and self-discovery. From Anthony Bourdain to YouTubers such as Yes Theory, there’s a wider emphasis on travel promoting emotional and psychological experiences, over simple sightseeing. We don’t travel to see things, we travel to feel them and to be changed by the journey, something first seen in Heart of Darkness.
In Yes Theory’s content, they live by their motto to “seek discomfort”, with the core idea of their work being that growth comes via entering unfamiliar environments and encounters. Thus, the notion that travel is a tool for transformation, not escape, and something that challenges worldview, feels very Conradian.
The impact of Heart of Darkness is widespread in the space, wherein Bald and Bankrupt, with his trips across the former USSR, also have a Conrad-esque theme to them. These peripheral regions, away from traditional tourist trails and into places that have held a very different political ideology, also showcase the idea of revealing the uncomfortable truth of a destination, rather than just selling it and showing us a highly curated version.
The idea of dark tourism as a whole can be traced back to Heart of Darkness, and Bald and Bankrupt, as well as Indigo Traveller, and more, have visited places that are portrayed in the West as being dangerous. In visiting areas such as Syria and Afghanistan, they’ve questioned narratives and shone a light back on our society by showing that the darkness around the place often comes from our perception, not the reality of the people or place. In many ways, these vlogs act like a modern iteration of Conrad’s groundbreaking novella.
The great success of Heart of Darkness is how its author challenged the European worldview. Beyond just detailing the location, the text asks us what we have learned from it, both about the destination and ourselves in the process, wherein its impact upon travel, how we view it, and how we consume culture, is as vital now as it was in 1899.
