Similarities between Heart of Darkness and Waiting for the Barbarians

It is not uncommon for books to share some similar plots, characters, and themes, but Heart of Darkness and Waiting for the barbarians had such similar scenarios that is would have been illogical not to see parallels between the two books. They both depend upon their government that in each book is not serving to benefit anyone other its own desires. Also, the books both contain characters that are damaged by the government’s imperialistic tactics.

Both books were set in a place exterior to the “main territory” (Europe and the Empire). The external areas were inhabited by natives that were looked down upon as less intelligent and often as not even human. In Heart of Darkness, the Company sends people to the Congo to civilize the Africans. The Company wants their actions to appear to be significant and honorable when in fact the European men sent to the Congo often go mad or die without helping any Africans. Heart of Darkness does not show any examples of wanting to protect of help the Africans while they are stationed in Africa. Instead, the men want to shoot at the natives for entertainment if they come near. The supposed morals of the Company are not the actual motives that influence their actions. Similarly, in Waiting for the Barbarians, the Magistrate is stationed in the wilderness and living carelessly when Colonel Joll is sent by the Empire to solve problems that do not exist. Joll is sent to disband a congregating force of Barbarians are supposedly planning an attack on the Empire. Instead of the government fixing a problem, it creates one. After Joll takes many barbarians hostage, the barbarians begin to congregate and get prepared for war. When attacked, victims will arm themselves. Consequently, Joll builds hysteria in the town and bands the townspeople together out of fear of a problem that Joll himself created. Both stories are risking the lives of their own people to solve a “problem” that is not real.

Lastly, both books have a man serving their government fall in love/become infatuated with a native woman. These women may be interpreted in various ways in both books, but for me they symbolized the bridge between two people that had such different customs. In Heart of Darkness, Kurtz goes mad in the wilderness where he has an “African mistress.” The Company sees as the final evidence that Kurtz has gone crazy. Similarly in Waiting for the Barbarians, the Magistrate houses a barbarian and eventually returns her to her people. The Magistrate’s actions are evidence that he is a traitor and he is locked away in a cell. The townspeople believe that the Magistrate is old and has gone insane. Having love for a native woman is seen by the powerful government’s people as impossible for a sane person because these people are seen as less than human and living inferior lives.
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