The Heart of Darkness- background knowledge

The short story, The Heart of Darkness was written by Joseph Conrad. He was Polish by birth, but learned English at the age of 21 and became a British citizen. Like any other famous author, Conrad's life wasn't perfect. His mother died when he was young, he was sent away from his family, he struggled with gambling addictions and he was a sailor, which is a transgression in itself. He lived in the late 1800's, at the peak of imperialism. A time where Britain, as well as other dominant nations including our own, were taking over native's land for resources. Experts argue when this concept arose, but many argue it was around the time of the slave trade that imperialism reached the modern world. Imperialism was like a virus; soon it wasn't just resources they could claim, but the entire land belonged to them, as long they could conquer the "savages" that were native settlers. Conrad was another bitter writer. Like Fitzgerald, he wrote about the clash of new and old ways. Also like Fitzgerald, the main character is not the narrator of the story. I think he wanted readers to see the effects of imperialism, but wasn't bold enough to make the readers feel as though it was their fault and they were influencing the new mindset. Perhaps, he didn't want to think of it as his fault either. It is easier to lay the blame and act as though you were just a symptom.