In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries imperialism was rampant. Most of Europe was trying to claim colonies in Asia, Africa, and the Pacific. The desire to acquire prosperity in this manner was rationalized at the time by most colonial powers. This rationalization essentially claimed that the technologically more advanced Europeans had a duty to take on "the white man's burden" as they called it, and bring light and progress to darker countries. The …showed first 75 words of 1120 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1120 total…a chance of surviving and they never did. Joseph Conrad examines the disastrous effects of European domination and highlights the destructive aspects effectively. He explores the phenomenon of colonization and the "white man's burden" and concludes that the rationalization of imperialism was an empty attempt to hide the greed that actually prompted such colonization. Works Cited Conrad, Joseph. "An Outpost of Progress." The Harbrace Anthology of Literature. Second Edition. Eds. Stott, Jones, Bowers. Harcourt, 1998. 929 - 945.