What on Earth are we doing? Take this, a valid question often overlooked as comic relief, and genuinely consider it. Why are we here? What positive operations have mankind accomplished that justifies a position on this once unscathed planet? Not until analyzing Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness did I contemplate such oppressive inquisitions, and grasp the irrefutable truth. Man’s erroneous ways of life have negatively affected, and will continue to affect the innocent people and the innocent planet.

 In Conrad’s thought provoking novella, it is apparent that he suggests overall gluttonous tendencies of corporations. The sole intention of these corporations is to “tear treasure out of the bowels of the land…” (Conrad, 1998, pg.177) without paying any attention to ethics. With complete accuracy, Conrad epitomizes the true intention of most wealthy corporations, one of these accusable culprits being Wal-Mart. “Greed is a theme with the Wal-Mart family. The family, worth a combined $95 billion, has given a stingy one percent of its wealth to charity” (Tasini, 2005). How terrible. But wait, take a second to cogitate exactly how much the average North American citizen donates to charity. There is no doubt that most contribute less than one percent of their “hard earned” income to those who truly need it. Why is blame being placed on corporations when mankind is acting just as callously? Conrad’s protagonist in the novella, a skeptical man who comes to a realization that man “… may be such thunderingly exalted creature[s] as to be altogether deaf and blind to anything but heavenly sights and sounds.” (Conrad, 1998, pg.207). Society is not blind as many like to believe. Blindness is a poor excuse for what our own selves wish not to see: the poor, the dying, and the helpless. It is very clear that most North American citizens could easily make a donation in any form to the less fortunate, but choose not because of selfishness. Society is motivated by glamour, “… glamour [keeps us] unscathed. [We] surely [want] nothing from the wilderness but a space to breathe in and to push on through.” (Conrad, 1998, pg.216); therefore, the North American citizen is motivated by glamour. Glamour takes the form of anything not vital to survive: the shirts tucked away never to be worn, the diamond on a hand that sacrificed a hand in turn, or the use of a vehicle that is slowly but surely weakening the only possible place to exist. Unless mankind takes a step backwards into an older and simpler lifestyle, we will finally join those living a life of privation.

Conrad exposed the inner demons of corporations, the devil of mankind, but his true intention was to give a warning. Conrad’s opinion was that of his protagonist’s, “I observed with assumed innocence that no man was safe from trouble in this world.” (Conrad, 1998, pg.190). On the contrary, “Anything, anything can be done in this country.” (Conrad, 1998, pg.181). Mankind is far from safe, but anything can be done to change that fact. Where there is a will there is a way. We might not know what on Earth we are doing, but “By the simple exercise of our will we can exert a power for good practically unbounded.” (Conrad, 1998, pg.208), but if we do not do so “The rest of the world [will be] nowhere, as far as our eyes and ears [are] concerned. Just nowhere.” (Conrad, 1998, pg. 192).

Works Cited:

 Conrad, J. (1998). Heart of darkness. New York: Oxford University Press.

 Tasini, J. (2005, March 30). Wal-mart’s culture of crime and greed. Retrieved from http://www.tompaine.com/articles/walmarts_culture_of_crime_and_greed.php