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Advances in Linguistics Research
ISSN Print:2707-2622
ISSN Online:2707-2630
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Wilderness and Boudoir: Female Silence and the Construction of Imperial Ideology in Heart of Darkness
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Information:
Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
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Keywords:
Heart of Darkness; Ecofeminist Criticism; Postcolonial Criticism
- Abstract: Heart of Darkness is the masterpiece of Joseph Conrad. It recounts the experiences of the sailor Marlow during his voyage up the Congo River in Africa. While previous studies have paid more attention to the psychological and moral crises of male colonists, this study focuses on two neglected and silent female characters in the novel, Kurtz’s African mistress and his European Fiancée, in order to reveal their role in the imperial narrative. This study will combine ecofeminism and postcolonialism. Through research and analysis, it is found that these two women are crucial symbols through which Conrad deconstructs the myth of imperial ideology. The African mistress is portrayed as the embodiment of “wild nature”, while the European fiancée represents the myth of “pure civilization”. Their silencing within the imperial narrative is not accidental, but discursively constructed by the empire to maintain the legitimacy of its rule. This arrangement deftly links the oppression of women to the exploitation of nature. This study concludes that Conrad profoundly exposes the inherent contradiction and violent nature of imperialism in terms of gender and ecology, and enriches the critical levels of the novel through the dualistic group of silent women.
- DOI: 10.35534/lin.0802015 (registering DOI)
- Cite: Yang, Y. T. (2026).Wilderness and Boudoir: Female Silence and the Construction of Imperial Ideology in Heart of Darkness. Advances in Linguistics Research, 8 (2), 183-190.
