Silence and Sound in Heart of Darkness : Exploring Colonial Power Dynamics through Forum Theatre

This thesis examines the power dynamics between the colonizer and the colonized in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness by focusing on how sound and silence function within the colonial discourse of the novella. Drawing on postcolonial theory, particularly the works of Homi Bhabha, Frantz Fanon, and Albert Memmi, this study argues that silence functions as a tool of colonial control, while sound serves as a subtle form of presence through which African characters maintain their cultural presence and disrupt the colonial authority. The study demonstrates how imperial ideology shapes both the colonized and the colonizers and how sound elements such as the Africans’ drumming, chanting, and rituals reveal the instability and contradictions within colonial power dynamics. Furthermore, the thesis explores Marlow’s ambivalent position within the colonial system, showing how he reproduces imperial ideology while being disturbed by its violence. Although his narrative often reflects the colonial perspective, his gradual recognition of the Africans’ humanity reveals the fractures within the colonial hierarchy. In this way, sound becomes a means that unsettles the colonial system. In addition to literary analysis, the thesis examines forum theatre as a pedagogical method for teaching Heart of Darkness in the Swedish upper secondary context. By combining postcolonial literary analysis with forum theatre, the study demonstrates how students can engage actively and critically with colonial power structures without reproducing colonial language while developing empathy and critical awareness. Thus, the thesis proposes an interactive didactic approach to teaching colonial literature that encourages critical engagement at the upper secondary level.