Contemporary reflection on the legacy of colonialism shows that this system not only shaped the political and economic structures of the world, but also had a lasting impact on ways of thinking, narratives and representations. The article presents Joseph Conrad’s Heart of darkness as a key text for understanding the complexity of colonial power relations and the mechanisms of dehumanisation and legitimisation of violence. Taking into account both classic and contemporary statements in the postcolonial debate (Achebe, Fanon, Said and Spivak among others), the author attempts to interpret the novel as a space of tension between Western Civilization ideology and its moral and symbolic collapse. Conrad not only exposes the illusion of civilisational superiority, but also shows colonialism as a process of mutual destruction – degrading both the colonised and the colonisers. Heart of Darkness remains a powerful voice in the debate on violence, otherness and the limits of humanity.
English
Język Polski