Book Review, King Leopold's Ghost Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Book Review, magnate Leopolds Ghost - Essay ExampleKing Leopolds Ghost reminds us how mans greed, great power and desire to conquer and exploit far away lands far outweighs his compassion for humanity.The story begins with an informative history about the colonization of the Congo by explorer Henry Morton Stanley. The reader is offered a glimpse of Stanleys lust for power and disrespect of humanity through his cunning plan to use Belgiums King Leopold in a quest to exploit Africa as a goldmine. Leopold proves to be a suitable partner for Stanley, happy masking his true desires for power and bills under the guise of philanthropy. He deceives the world with a false agenda, one which holds the best inte placidity of the Congo locals at heart. Together, Leopold and Hochschild take steps which eventually set out the Congo in the hands of King Leopold. Thereafter, the locals are exposed to a dictatorship which enslaves them not only physically but also mentally, stripping their res p ublica of wealth. Leopold and Stanleys titles of good king and adventuresome explorer are ripped away by Hochschild who is not shitless to use facts to paint a less praise picture of the pair.Leopold was eager to cash in on the worlds growing demand for natural resources such as ivory and rubber which Africa was rich of and was not afraid to go to extreme lengths to achieve his goals. Punishment was measured out in whippings and included men, women and children. Hochschild uses Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad to illustrate the brutality inflicted by Leopold. Murder, decorating gardens with skull and corrasion salt into wounds were common occurrences that were openly accepted as common practice by the white Force Publique. It is estimated that the population of the Congo was reduced by fractional over a forty year period.Although Leopolds exploits were well hidden, he was not free from opposition who was determined to expose his cruelty and true intentions to the rest of the w orld. Hochschild introduces us to