Colonialism in an Outpost of Progress Essay - 1867 Words

Dr. Chappell ENG 106W 19 March 2013 Colonialism and Irony in â€Å"An Outpost of Progress† â€Å"An Outpost of Progress† is a story of irony and colonialism in Africa in the nineteenth century, written by Joseph Conrad. In this Story two European men, named Kayerts and Carlier, are deployed to a trading outpost in a remote part of the African jungle. They take part ivory trading in hopes of making themselves and the company they work for wealthier. Trading outposts in the late nineteenth century were a trademark for colonialist efforts in foreign lands. Colonialism is the establishment, exploitation, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory (Wikipedia). During the nineteenth century†¦show more content†¦The river seemed to come from nowhere and flow nowhither. It flowed through a void. (Conrad 3-4) To go along with being unprepared and unskilled for their task, they also lacked good support from the Company that deployed them to this tra ding post. â€Å"The women of Gobilas village walked in single file through the reedy grass, bringing every morning to the station, fowls, and sweet potatoes, and palm wine, and sometimes a goat. The Company never provisions the stations fully, and the agents required those local supplies to live. They had them through the good-will of Gobila, and lived well.† How is someone to complete such a task without the proper assistance from their homeland? Moreover, how do you expect two men who do not remotely know each other and are both completely unfit to even come anywhere near completing the tasks that was set forth for them to do. However, despite these obstacles, Kayerts and Carlier were still drawn together due to their circumstances. Conrad wrote, â€Å"The two men got on well together in the fellowship of their stupidity and laziness. Together they did nothing, absolutely nothing, and enjoyed the sense of the idleness for which they were paid. And in time they came to feel something resembling affection for one another† (Conrad Page 3). Kayerts and Carlier had the help of a man from Sierra Leone by the name of Makola. It was very evident in the story thatShow MoreRelatedAn Analysis of Conrads An Outpost of Progress636 Words   |  3 PagesAn Analysis of Conrads An Outpost of Progress Joseph Conrads short story An Outpost of Progress was written at the very end of the 19th century, published in a collection of his tales in 1898. Told from the third-person perspective, the story centers on Kayerts (the chief) and Carlier (his assistant) at a trading post on an African river completely removed from Western civilization. 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