Imperialism on Display in Chicago

Europe's fascination in the unknown is personified well by the character Marlow in Joseph Conrad's The Heart of Darkness. At an early age Marlow is thrilled by the inviting blankness of maps of South America and Africa. His childlike curiosity was characteristic of Europe's own behavior. Accounts of far away lands and exotic peoples were insufficient. People wanted to be able to see the distant culture's that their empire touched. The answer became human zoos. Artificial villages would be set up to display these "exotic" peoples, and needless to say, these exhibits were not morally sound. Though these exhibits were popular primarily in Europe, there were some of note in America as well. Chicago specifically...

In the 1893 Colombian Exposition there were numerous examples of these unfortunate exhibits featuring various Native American and African peoples. The central idea of these mock villages was not to share in the wealth of humanity's diversity, it was meant to emphasize the superiority of western civilization. Fair goers gawked and accepted the superficiality of this cultural exchange. They were just making a day of it.

This sentiment is shared by the majority of the Europeans Marlow interacts with throughout the novel. They carry on with their perceived notion of cultural superiority unchecked.