“An Outpost of Progress”

• Genre: Fiction
• Originally Published: 1897
• Reading Level/Interest: College/Adult
• Structure/Length: Approx. 18 pages; approx. 1 hour on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: Two European men, Carlier and Kayerts, are working at a trading station in a remote part of the African jungle and become uneasy as they question the morality of their assignment.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Colonialism; slavery; racism; racist, ableist, and dated, offensive language; use of the n-word; suicide

Joseph Conrad, Author

• Bio: A Polish-British writer; born in 1857 in Ukraine; died in 1924; worked for the British Merchant Marines for 16 years, sailing around the world; his novella, Heart of Darkness, inspired the 1979 film Apocalypse Now
• Other Works: Heart of Darkness (1899); Lord Jim (1900); The Secret Agent (1907)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• The Hypocrisy of Western Colonialism
• The Moral Degeneracy of Human Nature
• Existential Loneliness

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Gain an understanding of the historical and cultural contexts regarding the European colonialization of Africa that drive Conrad’s concerns.
• Analyze short paired texts and videos to make connections and consider alternative viewpoints on The Hypocrisy of Western Colonialism.
• Plan and write a short narrative that features the use of setting as a symbol in order to demonstrate understanding of the impact of the setting in “An Outpost of Progress.