ivory trade

ivory trade-

Who- Belgians had control of the ivory trade.

What – taking ivory from the congo and selling it. It was rare so people wanted it. During the 1890s, at the time Heart of Darkness takes place, ivory was in enormous demand in Europe, where it was used to make jewelry, piano keys, and billiard balls, among other items. From 1888 to 1892, the amount of ivory exported from the Congo Free State rose from just under 13,000 pounds to over a quarter of a million pounds. Conrad tells us that Kurtz was the best agent of his time, collecting as much ivory as all the other agents combined. In 1892, Leopold II declared all natural resources in the Congo Free State to be his property. This meant the Belgians could stop dealing with African traders and simply take what they wanted themselves. As a consequence, Belgian traders pushed deeper into Africa in search of new sources of ivory, setting up stations all along the Congo River.

When – late 1800s ish

Where- congo, heart of darkness

Why- in heart of darkness, the ivory trade represents the downfall of kurtz. It is his power and loss of power. It represents capitalism because it only occurs so that the mother country can make money. Goes along with imperialism, king leopold/congo, heart of darkness/kurtz, and stream of consciousness. It is banned now.