Racism in Heart of DarknessI find no elements of racism in Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. I admit that I started reading it with a little hesitation because I don't like reading about human cruelty. However, after reading the story, I didn't have any negative feelings towards the story or the author. I feel like you have to realize that the events of this story were actually happening. I don't believe that just doing a job you're hired to do makes you a racist. Many times social problems are so overwhelming that an individual does not know where to begin to correct them. Marlow was described as an unemployed man with a childhood dream of going to unexplored Africa. I think Marlow went to the Congo without any real knowledge of what was really happening in the Congo. Beyond this thought, people don't really have the ability to know the severity of a problem until they experience it firsthand. I believe that injustices towards another human race are intolerable. However, social change takes time for many people to face the problem. In my opinion, there were several incidents within the story that indicated to me that Conrad's character, Marlow, was not a racist. For example, when Marlow is first at the station, he spots a large, shady tree in the distance and decides to investigate. . Marlow goes under the tree and finds many Africans groaning and waiting to die. Marlow is stunned by what he encounters. This meeting accompanies him throughout his stay in Congo. Marlow was never cruel to the black members of his troupe. After his helmsman died in the attack ordered by Kurtz, Marlow was left quite shaken. He later describes that he will never forget the look on her face. I also think he did the deceased man a service by throwing him overboard instead of possibly letting him be eaten by the alleged cannibals who were part of the crew. In another incident, Marlow saw the Pilgrims preparing to shoot the natives who had lined up along the river after retrieving Kurtz. Instead of allowing them to shoot him mercilessly, Marlow blows the steamer's horn knowing it would scare the natives in the forest and save them from the guns..