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King Leopold's Ghost Summary

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In his book King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa. Hochschild argues that King Leopold’s dreams and aspirations of expansion and conquest are reflected due to his insignificant size of his homeland. The action’s he is willing to take show that he will stop at nothing until his dreams are met. Not only does Hochschild, give several facts about the brutality shown in the Congo. He also gives background information stating Leopold’s profound love for Geography, as well as England’s empire. Hochschild makes it clear that his argument is valid, when Leopold rose to the throne and only was ambitious about ruling and owning his own colony. Also shows a display of racism at the time Hochschild shows a sign of this when over throwing …show more content…

Hochschild who is a journalist and Historian had to do a lot of his research before writing his book. The purpose of the book if to inform people of today’s society, that what had happened in the past is not right way to live. Also students of today to inform them of how these lands were formed what kind of hardship was seen in these eras. Since society is for fast moving today and not many students coming out of High School know much about the Congo, because It was never studied. Relate this massacre a lot to the Holocaust. To not only inform the readers it is also honorable to those who have lost their lives in brutality done to them over land, Greed, and Selfishness. Just like the Holocaust, many died because of one human beings power. Racism plays a role in this as well; Holocaust was not the first time many people’s lives have been in danger. Hochschild brings this to an attention by writing this book. When he goes into depth about forced labor and how the people of the Congo were forcefully working, and if they refused they either got beaten or shot. Refers back to how during the Holocaust, they forced labor upon them and killed as well using gas

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