Inhumanity towards the Natives:
* Exploitation and forced labor: The primary purpose of the Belgian colonization is the extraction of ivory. The natives are forced into brutal labor, often under threat of violence or death, with no regard for their well-being. The novel depicts scenes of workers dying from exhaustion, disease, and starvation.
* Dehumanization and objectification: The natives are consistently referred to as "savages," "animals," and "niggers," reducing them to mere objects devoid of human dignity and worth. Their culture and traditions are disregarded, and their beliefs are ridiculed and dismissed.
* Violence and brutality: The novel portrays numerous acts of cruelty, including the public flogging and mutilation of natives for minor transgressions. The "pilgrimage" to the Inner Station is described as a "horror," with constant violence and bloodshed.
* Psychological manipulation and control: The colonizers use a combination of fear and manipulation to control the natives. They exploit their beliefs and fears, and use religious justifications to justify their actions.
* The "savagery" of the colonizers: While the natives are portrayed as "primitive," the novel reveals the true savagery lies within the colonizers. Their pursuit of ivory leads them to become ruthless and cruel, losing their humanity in the process.
Inhumanity towards the Colonizers:
* The psychological toll of colonialism: The novel depicts the devastating effects of colonialism on the colonizers themselves. Characters like Kurtz and Marlow are corrupted by the power and brutality they witness, losing their moral compass and succumbing to madness.
* The destructive nature of greed: The insatiable pursuit of wealth and power drives the colonizers to commit heinous acts, leading to their own moral decay.
* The alienation and isolation: The colonizers are often isolated and cut off from their own cultures and values. This isolation leads to a sense of detachment and moral decay.
* The corruption of the soul: The novel suggests that the pursuit of colonial ambitions inevitably leads to the corruption of the soul, as the colonizers become morally compromised by the acts they commit.
Through its exploration of the horrors of colonization, "Heart of Darkness" reveals the profound impact of inhumanity on both the colonized and the colonizers. It forces us to confront the dark side of human nature and the potential for brutality when unchecked by morality and empathy.