In Joseph Conrad's classic novella “Heart of Darkness,” we are exposed to a first person depiction of the horrific scramble for ivory that occurred during the European colonization of Africa. The pillaging of natural resources by Europeans occurred many times throughout the colonial era -- such as with valuable mineral in South America and with the pelts of various animals in North America -- and through his insightful illustration of such events in Africa, Conrad successfully shines a light on the horrors of the conquest of resources. In the novella, Conrad uses ivory as a representation of evil and the white man’s greed. We are shown the ways in which the desire for the resource drives men to do horrible things, how they are driven mad by