"They were conquerors, and for that you want only brute force--nothing to boast of, when you have it, since your strength is just an accident arising from the weakness of others. They grabbed what they could get for the sake of what was to be got. It was just robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale, and men going at it blind--as is very proper for those who tackle a darkness." Page 70
This quote is a shift from Marlow's previous paragraph where he praises the intentions of the explorers. He explains that he has seen the brutal truth of colonization first hand and that the ordered destruction of other cultures, while praised for profit and justified by Western ideals, is atrocious. He poignantly says that the conqueror's strength is nothing to marvel at or boast about because it is "an accident" taken from the weakness of others. While this does in a sense reflect a sense of European superiority, Marlow notes that the roles of conquerors and conquered are determined by chance (Guns, Germs, and Steel anyone?)
This passage reflects the tone of the rest of the narrative. Marlow is reflective and able to retell his story with the insight of time. He condemns conquerors as robbers and notes that the mentality that the ends justify the means is wrong.
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