From Colonial Darkness to Post-Apartheid Disgrace: Authenticity in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Coetzee’s Disgrace

The novel has long provided a fertile ground for questioning the essence of human existence and the possibility of leading a meaningful life. This article pursues that inquiry by examining Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness (1899) and J. M. Coetzee’s Disgrace (1999) through the lens of Martin Heidegger’s existential philosophy. Focusing on Heidegger’s concepts of ‘Dasein’, ‘thrownness’, ‘anxiety’, and authenticity, this article underlines how both novels, though written in different historical contexts, share a common ground in their portrayal of protagonists who confront the challenges of being. While Conrad depicts Marlow’s journey in the Congo during the peak of colonial exploitation, Coetzee presents David’s existential struggle in post-apartheid South Africa, which is similarly shaped by power, injustice and alienation. In this light, the novels illuminate that authentic existence emerges not through self-serving domination but through free and selfless choices that take responsibility for others. In contrast to the ethically indifferent acts of the inauthentic Dasein, Marlow and David’s existential struggles highlight the ongoing tension between destructive impulses and the possibility of love, tolerance and empathy. Their journeys illustrate the inseparability of freedom and responsibility and suggest that authenticity is not a fixed state but a constant effort against conformity, injustice and dehumanization. By mirroring both the darker realities of human existence and its redemptive potential, Conrad and Coetzee demonstrate that literature remains a crucial medium for inspiring authenticity and offers readers a vision of a freer and more humane world.