Difficult Passage, Heart of Darkness

I was confused as to exactly what was happening around page 103, at the very beginning of Part II, when Marlow overhears the nephew and the uncle talking.  Perhaps it was because at times he only hears bits of dialogue, but I don't think I completely understood what transpired.  Here's an excerpt:

Perhaps it was just a simply a fine fellow who stuck to his work for its own sake. His name, you understand, had not been pronounced once.  He was 'that man.'  The half-caste, who, as far as I could see, had conducted a difficult trip with great prudence and pluck, was invariably alluded to as 'that scoundrel.' The 'scoundrel' had recovered imperfectly.... The two below me moved away then a few paces, and strolled back and forth at some distance.  I heard: 'Military post--doctor--two hundred miles--quite alone now--unavoidable delays--nine months--no news--strange rumors.'

Heart of Darkness Quotation Response

"They were no colonists; their administration was merely a squeeze, and nothing more, I suspect.  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.  You grabbed what you could get for the sake of what was to be got.  It was just robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale..."

The discussion of the European "conquerors" in Africa (and elsewhere during the era) is especially.  These people, like Conrad claims through Marlow, were not colonists.  They did not seek this land to live in, they merely wanted to exploit the nation's labor and natural resources for their own gain.  Their conquest was successful because they were stronger, not necessarily physically, but mostly technologically.  The Africans could not compete with the Europeans guns or other 'modern marvels.'  This unequal competition was in no way the fault of the Africans themselves or the result of the triumph of the Europeans, it was the result of chance (if you've read Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel, you know that it could be considered only the result of geography!).  Marlow also depicts the greed of these European explorers.  They pillaged and plundered what they could, not caring what devastation they left behind.

Journalists Won't Give You Receipts (Chapter 16)

This chapter focuses mainly on the interactions between Leopold and his growing opposition.  Leopold's popularity was declining and attacks were now coming from "all quarters."  Leopold attempts to fight back with counterattacks and positive reports (about the Congo) on an international scale.  He uses bribery and financial incentives, primarily through his Press Bureau, to get glowing articles and even books published about the Congo throughout Europe and America.

Despite his efforts, criticism of Leopold's Congo continued.  Morel encouraged the United States, as the first nation to acknowledge the Congo, to take action.  Influential figures of the day, including Mark Twain and Booker T. Washington, also encouraged President Theodore Roosevelt to do something.  Like it already was in England, Congo reform would soon become a full scale crusade in the U.S, despite Leopold's continuing efforts to court influential Americans (like John D. Rockefeller, who he granted major Congo Concession rights to) by offering them a share of his Congo riches.

Leopold continued to campaign in America, playing the role of the victimized Catholic (with the help of the Vatican).  He hired lobbyists to speak to Congressmen, give glowing speeches and write positive articles.  However, one lobbyist, Colonel Henry I. Kowalsky, would prove detrimental.   When he was cut from Leopold's payroll, Kowalsky exposed the Belgian King's bribery and lobbying to a prominent American newspaper.  Leopold quickly lost control of the American ideology about the Congo as his opponents began to rise in numbers and power there.

King Leopold made one final attempt to clear his name and created a biased Commission of Inquiry.  Although multinational, the commission was far from impartial.  In fact, none of its three members could speak enough English to converse directly with critical British and American missionaries.  Nevertheless, stirring testimonies, especially one by a Chief who named the 110 members of his village who were killed by the quest for rubber.  The Commission produced a 150 page reported that repeated nearly every criticism hedged by Casement and Morel.  Leopold made one final attempt to cover up the negative report.  When he released the Commissions findings to the press, he included a cover letter containing a "complete and authentic resume of the report," conveniently in English.  British newspapers, thinking they had a jump on the competition, hastened to publish the summary.  Only in the next few days, when editors read the full French version, did they realize how inaccurate the resume was.  The so called summary held none of the document's original meaning.  With his popularity in sharp decline and his old tricks failing him, Leopold's Congo State was resting on increasingly shaky ground.

Quiz Questions:

1. How did Leopold use his immense influence to get positive accounts about Congo travels and business published?
2. How did Morel shape his arguments to appeal to different American constituencies?
3. What is the significance of the title?
4. In what ways did Leopold try to "court" influential Americans? How successful was he?
5. In what ways did Leopold's lobbying and press effort begin to derail?  In your eyes, what was his biggest mistake?