An Outpost of Progress by Joseph Conrad is a story that entails ethnocentrism within the western world during the 19th century. The story begins with Kayerts and Carlier, two European men who were deployed to a trading outpost somewhere in Africa, where they were expected to trade and collect resources, as well teaching western influences to what they considered less civilized individuals. As the story progresses, Conrad exposes the fatuous qualities of these two men by demonstrating that they are hopeless and meaningless without their institutions and privilege that support them.Thesis: The purpose of this essay will be to argued how Conrad’s use of irony truly show how fallacious the concept of ethnocentrism is.Methodology: To achieve these aims, the essay will include academic studies that describe the origins of ethnocentrism, where they will then be compared to the characters of Kayerts and Carlier. Using these sources, the essay will also include arguments as to why ethnocentrism as model in methodology is flawed, as demonstrated in the story. Finally, the essay will look at ethnocentrism in a historical context to give better insight on how Conrad might have used irony to expose his distaste for ethnocentric views.
