Heart of Darkness 1

               As the story follows the theme of the evils of imperialism, and the Marlow's depiction of imperialists as being "weak-eyed devils" of deception, the perspective takes a strange turn. Marlow gets to know one of the leaders in the company, he discovers the general attitude of those working there. The officer admires the freedom and charm of the hippopotamus, saying, "'The animal has a charmed life [...] but you can say this only of brutes in this country. No man-- you apprehend me?--no man here bears a charmed life'" (96). The manager here illustrates the duality of the unsatisfactory lifestyles of either side of the imperialistic battle. Those there to gain power are corrupted and made to believe their actions are correct and follow through with them. Meanwhile, the native people are being oppressed to the extremes, forced to abandon their previous lifestyles in order to be reduced to slavery. The parasitic relationship between the oppressors, who rely on the 'weak' for power, and the oppressed, who are being destroyed by force, holds no complete satisfaction for either of the groups. The manager realizes his life is charmless, but continues to hold his rank, in fear of losing the only power he has.