Your essay, due on Wednesday the 24th at 11:59pm (once again in the drop-box on Canvas), focuses on Sven Lindqvist’s excellent (and quite disturbing) Exterminate all the Brutes, a work that focuses on European imperialism in the late nineteenth century. The essay should be 6-8 pages (double-spaced, standard margins, Times New Roman 12 pt. font), and you should cite all sources (I prefer footnotes, meaning the Chicago style… See:

http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html/) (Links to an external site.).

Please answer the following questions (you can use this as an outline) based on the book, our discussion of the book, and the broader themes we have dealt with in the class:

1) What was the context in which Conrad’s Heart of Darkness was written? What was going on in Europe? And in Africa?

2) How does racism develop in Europe? What consequences does it have?

3) How do you explain the extreme violence in colonial Africa?

4) What did Europeans in 1900 think about what we now call “genocide”? How did they explain it and justify it?

4) What are the connections between genocidal ideologies and practices in Africa and those of the Third Reich?

5) Is Lindqvist’s analysis of the world of 1900 still relevant today? How and why?

Your essay will be graded both on its style and its content, particularly how well you analyze the book and tie it to the broader issues and events we have discussed in class. Be sure to proofread and use polished writing, and try to have clear arguments backed up by evidence and examples from Lindqvist. You may use outside sources if you wish (indeed, it can only help you), but be sure to cite those sources. I would prefer footnotes —I can explain to you how to make these. For page numbers in Lindqvist, you can simply put the page number in parentheses. Just do not plagiarize, meaning use someone else’s ideas without crediting them. Indeed, I will deal with plagiarism very harshly (in a colonial warfare sort of way). Please feel free to email me about the paper in advance.

Please note Murray State’s academic honesty policy:

Academic+Honesty+Policy.pdfPreview the documentView in a new window

I am happy to read outlines and drafts.

I will be happy to interact with you by email and discuss drafts, outlines, or any writing issues.

Good luck!